Gears of War 2: Crimson Cross
by Fire Kunai
Summary: Jennifer Anderson is a meek, spineless and cowardly COG medic. She's a disgrace to the uniform. So how the hell did she end up with the esteemed Delta squad? *Gears of War 2 novelisation with some twists and mild B.Carmine/OC* *As of 29.06.2012, Chapter 1-6 edited*
1. I: Prelude to War

**EDITED: Changed some characters around because of certain edits I've made to the plot.**

**My first attempt at writing GoW fanfiction. I've seen some pretty good stuff on here so far but they always seemed like they followed the same pattern, especially when a lead female role is concerned. Don't get me wrong, I really like some of the stories in this category but sometimes I prefer a change apart from the lead role getting into Delta, always seeming like he/she is a natural born shot, being spunky as hell or have parents in the COG and have a budding romance with Baird or Marcus (I love seeing romance in a GoW story but it needs to be done right) They are also usually ex-stranded and teenagers.**

**Gears of War 2: Crimson Cross" is my attempt at breaking the stereotypes of Gear girls . This takes place during Gears of War 2. I've tried not to take anything away from the lead characters like Marcus and Dom (Since they kick so much ass that they don't need my help) I've tweaked bits that I wished could have been different so there's still a few surprises**.

**Judge Magister Fermus for all your input over the years. Without you, Jennifer would still be sitting in draft hell. Forever grateful bro.**

* * *

**Chapter One: **Prelude to War

**"She's taking time making up the reasons  
To justify all the hurt inside  
Guess she knows from the smiles and the look in their eyes  
Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one" **  
- Savage Garden, **"To the Moon and back"**

* * *

**COG Serial number:** PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 13:25  
**Current Location:**Jacinto, Hospital.

"Morphine...We'll need you...And Vicaden...No, you take a while to work...Ibuprofen? What are you doing here? You should on the other rack." With several bottles of medication in one hand, Jennifer Anderson steadied herself the spare and managed to turn around on the swivelling office she had been standing on. Using such a chair to stack medicines was less than advisable but the young woman of twenty five was not known for her common sense. The aluminium shelf opposite was just out of her reach, only an inch or so away. Balancing away on the chair like a circus clown, Jennifer reached out again. A tongue poked out between her lips, a sure sign that she was concentrating.

Just a little bit more.

The frayed office chair disappeared out from under Jennifer's feet. She let out an undignified squeak of fright and flayed out to grab something. Her gloved hands caught the aluminium and titanium shelf behind her but the rack was just not strong enough. With the young woman clinging to it, the unit fell backwards with an almighty crash and knocked into another. Vials of fluids smashed to the ground and spread out in sticky puddles. Dozens of jars and bottles shattered when they hit the ground, sending hundreds upon hundreds of tablets out upon the ground like rainbow pebbles. Jennifer hit the ground hard, the shelf mounted upon her. The pearly grey medic armour that adorned her body protected her back, stopping the shelf from snapping her spine in town.

For several seconds, the woman lay still under the heavy unit in a stunned stupor. A lump on the back of her head started to swell mere seconds after the impact of the fall, promising a money back guarantee of a killer headache later. Navy blue eyes blinked at the blurred, hazy world above. Her limbs twitched, searching for any broken bones. Jennifer was disappointed to find none. A broken bone would have made her superior less inclined to reprimand her, believing a broken limb to be more than enough punishment.

"Private Anderson! What the hell are you doing!" Shouted a voice somewhere above Jennifer's swimming head. Blue hues swivelled up, dreading whomever had found her in such a debacle.

Sergeant Marko was glaring down at the upside down Private, lips pursed together in an immeasurable amount of fury. Jennifer was petrified of Sergeant simply because he had such a frightening appearance. Marko was quite possibly one of the scariest looking creatures she had even come across. Many scars ran across his pale face. His nose was sharp and pointed. Black hair clashed with blue eyes so dark they could have been black. His teeth were sharp and jagged, putting Jennifer in mind of a shark. It was not the least bit surprising that he had been nicknamed "Mako shark" by the other recruits.

But without her glasses, he was nothing but a large, teal blur to Jennifer. It was probably better that way.

"Well?" he asked, seemingly waiting for an explanation. Jennifer rolled onto her stomach and scrabbled up, finding her glasses and sliding them back onto her nose. When she was on her feet, the sergeant tore into her with all the strength and aggressiveness he possessed. "Look at this mess private! Just look at it!" He gestured to the mess as if Jennifer was not aware of it. "Valuable medicine! All ruined! Give me Reavers. Give me Kantas. Give me Brumaks. Anything but you Anderson. Compared to you the Locust Horde is a complete joy."

Jennifer stood at attention, trembling all over. "I-I am so sorry sir, i-i-it was an accident," she managed to spit out, her stutter rearing its ugly head.

"Private, this is not an 'accident', it is a catastrophe!" He stopped and rumbed his forehead in irritation. "Why do I even put up with you?"

He waited a moment and Jennifer released that he was awaiting an answer. The woman swallowed nervously, searching desperately for an answer to give her ball-busting superior. "Well sir, you put up with me because I'm a qualified Grade Three Medic and that I can read and write some Locust – "

Sergeant Marko cut her off mid-sentence, his face a storm. "I put up with you because your father and brother were fine, fine officers."

Jennifer looked down, her face a bright red under his scrutiny. "It will never happen again sir. I swear."

Marko let out a snort. "That is what you said when you shot me during a firearms test. That's also what you said when you ejected the King Raven's guns while on the ground. You're a walking disaster Private. If we weren't so completely desperate for soldiers, we would have sent you to the fucking farms." Jennifer winced at his words but said nothing in response, more than used to his harsh words since every one of them were true. He looked to the mess again and sighed. "Now, I don't care how you do it but clean this up."

"Sir yes sir," Jennifer answered, staring at the ground and willing him to go away. Marko shot her another glare then turned on his heel and disappeared out the double swing doors into the hospital. Jennifer did not breathe again until his booted footsteps had faded out completely. She slumped back down to the ground, heart hammering away so fiercely that Jennifer thought that she would become the youngest person in history to die from a stress-induced heart attack. "Breathe Jenny, breathe. He's gone now," she told herself. Despite her best efforts, her lungs remained tight in her chest.

No sooner had the Marko disappeared, more footsteps approached the storage bay of Jacinto Base hospital. They were too quick and light to be Marko's or any other male gear so it could have only meant that another female was fast approaching.

"Jenny? You around here?" called out another soldier. The medic relaxed, recognising her friend's voice.

"I'm in here Sharon," Jennifer sounded out before reaching down and setting the unit upright again. More bottles and glass fell to the ground, each crash another reminder of her foul up.

The head of her fellow medic Sharon Sinclair popped through the double doors. She had dark red hair that had once been long and flowing but had been cut short in regulation with COG protocols. The other woman looked the chaos and let out a low whistle. "Crap Jen, how did you manage this?" she asked in amusement, stepping through the door and over all the little puddles of fluids to reach her friend. She was only about thirty years old and stood at five foot six inches (a giant in comparsion to Jennifers four foot eleven inches) Pearly white armour adorned Sharon's body, standard issue to any COG medic. On the chest plate was the single red cross inside a cog, the logo of the Coalition of Ordered Governments Medical Corps. The weapon of choice to most Gears, a Lancer Bayonet Rifle, was clipped to her back along with a Gnasher Shotgun.

Jennifer reddened and started to pick up some of the bottles and jars that had not smashed. "It was an accident."

Sharon sighed and scratched her short haired head. "You're always having 'accidents'."

"I know."

"And there was me hoping that we could get some R&R before the big push."

Jennifer held up a bottle to the light to read the label. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I've been ordered to stay here and see to Rust Lung infected patients."

The woman recoiled back. "Watch out, you'll get it as well."

"You really shouldn't say things like that," Jennifer replied reproachfully.

"You can never be too careful," Sharon stated before bending over to pick up a plastic container that was still full.

"What's this?"

Jennifer squinted at the bottle. "Flucolxacillin."

The red head stared back blankly. "Sorry Jenny, I don't speak_ Doctor weekly_."

"It's an antibiotic," she replied, adjusting her thick frames.

"Oh right. Where does it go?"

Jennifer pointed to the fourth unit. "Since you're here, you could give me a hand."

"Mako shark wouldn't be too happy if I did that."

"I thought we were friends."

"Okay, I'll help." Sharon joined Jennifer's side and started collecting up broken shards of glass.

"Thanks Sharon."

"Well, if I didn't help then you would just give me that little sad look of yours."

"I would not," Jennifer insisted, feeling distinctly ruffled.

"You would. You always do and it makes you look so fucking pathetic. That's why everyone laughs at you. Remember what Baird called you a couple of weeks ago?" Sharon tossed empty bottles into a hazard bin with more force than necessary.

Jennifer winced in recollection. She had walked in on three other Gears talking about her, the dreaded Corporal Baird being one of them. Nothing pleasant had come out of that exchange. Corporal Baird never failed to make her feel three inches tall. "Yeah, 'Cannon Fodder'. But I guess it could be worse."

The older woman discarded a handful of broken glass the vibrant yellow bin, her face a storm of emotions. "Jenny! You're a medic and they have no respect for you. How could it be worse?"

"I could be dead. That's worst right?" Jennifer pointed out.

Her companion snorted. "Well, yeah I guess so. But fuck Jen, you need to get yourself a backbone girl or the Locust will walk all over you. Literally." Jennifer clenched her hands and turned away, knuckles white underneath her armour. It was bad enough when one's superior was demanding that you grow some spine, it was another thing entirely if your closest friend was saying it as well. Jennifer continued to clean up the mess in silence. Sharon remained quiet as well, which the medic considered rather odd for she was never really quiet and could be as opinionated as Corporal Baird.

Once the clean-up was complete, Jennifer and Sharon sat back on their haunches to admire their handiwork. The yellow bin was full of broken glass, damp paper towels and handful of coloured tablets. The red head glanced at her through a fringe of short hair. "I didn't mean what I said by the way. I was just talking out of my ass again. I wouldn't want you to change in the slightest," she stated, reaching over to ruffle Jennifer's sheared black locks in a very sisterly kind of way.

"You did."

Sharon's forehead creased slightly. "Honestly, Jen, I didn't. You shouldn't let people get to you. People are dickheads."

"Like you and Corporal Baird?" Jennifer asked.

"Especially me and Corporal Baird. Be thankful that you don't work for him. He's so demanding," Sharon remarked, her frown wrinkled in a frown.

The medic managed a smile. "You should really get going Sharon. I don't want to get you into any trouble. Thank you for the help"

"Don't worry about that. I'm sort of a trouble magnet anyway. Will you be free later?"

"If I haven't messed up again and been thrown in the brig."

"You need to give yourself a little bit of credit Jen. You'll make a good soldier with time. Remember how terrible I used to be? Couldn't hit a barn with a shotgun."

Jennifer felt even more deflated. "You're a colonel's daughter. It's in your blood. You're supposed to be a good soldier. "

Sharon scowled as if Jennifer were being deliberately dense. "So are you."

"My dad was just a Major," the raven haired girl replied.

"God, you're so pessimistic. You'd think you'd be a little prouder of your old man." Sharon sighed in irritation. "I'll see you later."

Jennifer said nothing in response as Sharon disappeared from the store room. Personally, she felt that there was nothing to be proud of by dying via a Ticker. Once again, she was left alone to finish her task. Jennifer looked to the right and found the several hundred medical kits that needed filled with supplies before the big push. She felt disheartened entirely that it was the only task she was entrusted to do, and even then she somehow managed to botch up. Jennifer could almost hear what Marko would be saying to the field medic who trained her: _"She's useless and clumsy. I swear if it wasn't for her family's service record as a whole, I would have booted her out on her pretty little ass long ago." _Tears pricked at her eyes. It hardly seemed fair. It wasn't her fault that she was not cut to be a soldier. Why should she have to live up to their standards just because of her last name? Genetics, chance and the glint in her father's eye was more to blame than she was.

Lifting up her thick framed glasses, Jennifer wiped her dark blue eyes and started on her assignment. She reached for the first white steel case stamped with a red cross inside a crimson cog and snapped it open. It contained a few basic supplies but Jennifer was expected to add to it. Each med-kit would nearly at least four shots of Bio-foam, two or three bottles of Morphine, a few blood packs, surgical tubing, sterile gloves and a pair of long teethed pliers; perfect for pulling out bullets from deep wounds.

She had only finished filling her seventy fifth container when the ground beneath Jennifer suddenly rumbled. The medic froze, feeling her very skin quiver in anticipation.

It was maybe two seconds – three at the most - before all hell suddenly broke loose inside the hospital. Sirens suddenly screamed out overhead, distant shouts echoed off the walls and plaster started to crack away from the ceiling. Jennifer swallowed hard and looked up. Jacinto Base Hospital was fragile enough without having to stand against Reaver bombings. All she could hope that it didn't cave in on her. It would just be her luck for the entire building to come down on top of her.

Another medic appeared at the door, shoulders heaving as if he had just been running for miles. "Anderson! Get some gear together, we're leaving. Now!"

"What, why?" She asked, still rooted to the spot. The other soldier stepped over the med-kits and hauled her to her feet as if she weighed less than a rag doll. It was not surprising. Jennifer looked so much like a china doll and most likely weighed the same that it was a miracle she had not been snapped in two. "The Locust have launched an attack against the hospital. We've got to get out of here before we get overrun. Take only the morphine and Bio-foam. Anything else can be replaced." He kicked open a nearly empty container that was large enough to store several med-kits. Without a second word, he tossed eight or nine kits into the empty crate like it was all routine to him. Once it was full, he snapped the lid shut again.

"Please, let me – " the Medic cut her off by grasping the crate by its handles then holstering it right off the ground. "Help..." Jennifer trailed off.

He turned back to her, painfully obvious that he was in a hurry. "What are you trying to do? Catch flies. I don't have time for this Anderson! Fucking move it!"

Jennifer came crashing back to earth with a thud. "Yes sir!"

* * *

**COG Serial number:** SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 13:45  
**Current Location:**Jacinto Base Hospital.

Inside Jacinto's base hospital, Sergeant Marcus Fenix gave the communicator on his ear a quick tap.

"Still there Anya?"

Marcus heard a buzz from the other end, indicating that the blonde was in a busy area. _"Still here Marcus. Tell Dom that I may have a lead on Maria but it doesn't look good."_

The very foundations of the hospital suddenly quivered and rumbled as if they were threatening to cave in on top of them. His long time friend and companion, Dominic Santiago, looked up at the hovering robot in desperation. "Anya what did you find?"  
_  
"A lead on a Jane Doe but it doesn't look like – "_The area rumbled again, small bits of plaster and dust failing down around the pair of Gears. Marcus hoped that the hospital could hold it together. It would have certainly put a downer on the squad leader's day if one of the few functioning hospitals left in Jacinto collapsed on top of him. On the other end of the connection, Anya started to cut off.

"What Anya?"

On the tiny screen, Anya looked behind her in desperation. Even Marcus could see that people were fleeing the room she occupied._ "I'll fill you in later Dom. I have to get back to control."_

Marcus stiffened slightly. "Alright Anya, good luck."

Dom grasped his Lancer so tightly that Marcus was sure it would snap. "Damn it. I'll kill every one of these god damned grubs," he hissed, the hate and anger practically eradiating off him as if he were a chunk of uranium. Marcus made a move to place a hand on his friends shoulder but thought better of it. "Come on, let's go." Marcus motioned towards a set of double doors to the right. Coupled with both old-age and ill-maintenance, they protested and hissed when they slid open. On the other side of the doors was the crouched, tattooed Gear known as Tai. Like every other COG soldier, Tai roughly weighed the same as a tank in both bulk and height. Large, bold tattoos adorned every square inch of his arms and crept up his face in an intimidating manner.

Sensing the presence behind him, Tai rose to face the other two Gears. Dark brown eyes that could be as harsh as winter or as warm as summer blinked back at Marcus and Dom. "Ah Marcus. It has been far too long." Tai was a veteran soldier, sported an impressive service record and on the hit list of any self-respecting Locust – beneath Marcus Fenix of course. Marcus was certain that the Locust would like nothing better to have the his head mounted upon the wall with a plaque underneath reading: "Problem solved."

"Good to have you with us Tai. What are we looking at?"

The tattooed man gestured forward with a nod. "Locust raid. Follow me."

Dom fell into place by Marcus's side. "The Locust have some serious sacks coming in here."

"I doubt it has anything to do with courage. They just don't realise they've been sent on a suicide mission," Tai added.

"Maybe they're just desperate," Marcus suggested before checking to make sure he was carrying enough grenades.

"What do you mean?"

Marcus looked at Dom as if the answer should have been obvious. "Well, maybe the Lightmass bombing hit them harder than we thought. Or maybe something else is going down in the Hollow. I dunno." The group came into a foyer that had many dozens of patients lying out on stretchers. Brown lime covered the ground, glistening in the halogen lighting. Marcus could practically feel their pain in the air. As he passed one patient, a loud and crunching cough escaped the chest of an old man. It sounded as if something were alive inside his chest and was struggling to break free. Marcus shrunk back slightly, sticking closer to Dom. It hurt him to even look at them.

"What do you say these patients have?" Dom asked.

Tai looked towards the foyer of patients and grimaced. "Rust Lung. Imulsion sickness. Cases have been cropping up since the Lightmass bombing. A few doctors and medics have been trying to find a cure but they haven't been successful. It is a horrible way for a warrior to die."

"Contagious?"

"They say it isn't but I keep my distance."

"No argument there."

Just as they headed down another stretch of, the all too sickeningly familiar growl of the Locust Horde ground into Marcus's eardrums.

"We have confirmed Locust contact. I repeat, Locust are in the hospital," Anya announced into

Marcus signalled to Delta and they scattered, taking position behind concrete walls and foundations. Like the plague that they were, Locust horde thrummed out through a set of double doors. He shoved a clip of ammo into his Lancer with an audible growl. A hailstorm of bullets rained overhead so thickly and fiercely that Marcus almost considered getting out an umbrella. He wondered briefly why on earth the Locust had changed their attack patterns. It was not often that the pasty coloured, homicidal monsters struck so close and hard to Jacinto. They usually struck in quick but brutal raids in the cities surrounding Jacinto, rarely the human stronghold itself. Nothing about the situation made any kind of remote sense.

Off to his left, Dom was crouched behind an unturned table and was no better off. Marcus knew that Dom had his doubts as well. His long time friend and pseudo brother was smart enough to put the pieces together, just as he had. Somewhere on the other side of the level, Tai was churning up a storm with his shotgun. Marcus heard each shot make contact.

A semi-sentient robot, Jack hovered next to Marcus in Combat Alert. Only a simmering, translucent ghost indicated that the robot was still with them. _"Marcus, what do you hear?"_ The bandanna-clad man tapped the communicator mounted onto his ear, linking communications to the blonde woman on the other end of the line. Many times had Marcus been extremely grateful Anya Stroud. She had been a solid and calm voice of reason during desperate times. "Nothing but the rain Anya," he replied, just as she expected.  
_  
"Grab your gun and bring in the cat."_

"Wilco. Delta out."

Concentrating fully on the task at hand, Marcus popped up from cover and sent a storm of his own bullets in the general direction of the Locust Drones. They hit the first wave with sickeningly satisfying accuracy, eager to find a home inside grey freckled skin but the second wave of Drones escaped the barrage. The Locust soldiers fell back, retreating out of the swinging double doors. In his time as a COG soldier, Marcus had been taught to treat every battle like a chess game. It was all about tactics and strategies, defending your soldiers and manoeuvring them into stronger positions.

They worked together as a single unit, pushing the invading Locust into a bottleneck. They had little chance to escape. Delta was brutal at best of times but Marcus felt his team put even more pressure than usual on the Locust. Perhaps it was because they were hitting so close to home.

When they had pushed the Locus right back into the north wing, Marcus reined his squad in. He signaled to Dom to fling in a smoke grenade into one entrance and ordered Tai to throw another. The grenades detonated with a bang and haze of wispy smoke soon seeped into the foyer beyond. Seconds after the blast, Dom and Tai dived through one set of the double doors with raised rifles. It was as easy as flushing out rabbits. A few Locust attempted to escaped through the fire exit but Marcus cut them off with a tempest of steel. "Let's see how you like it," Marcus growled and fed a second clip of ammo into his trusted Lancer.

Suddenly and without any warning, the glass window's to the east of Marcus suddenly exploded with a roar. Shards of glass the length and thickness of a Gear's arm spread out in almost every direction like clear rain. Marcus had less than seconds to dive into cover before he became a human pincushion. The wall he was crouched was old and worn but took every impact with room for more. The only single benefit to the Gears was that the escaping Locust had been nailed to the walls opposite by glass shards.

A Raven hovered up a few seconds later.  
_  
"This is KR - Seven Five, can you verify if Locust are in the hospital. Over."  
_  
Marcus tapped into his Tac/Com, furious that he had almost been speared by flying glass. "Airhead! Of course we do! We have Gears and Civilians in this building as well! Watch where you're bombing!"

The pilot of the chopped, gunnery sergeant Charlie "Airhead" O'Reilly snorted over the Com. _"Alright alright, keep your knickers on Fenix."_

When the squad leader opened his mouth to say something rude, Anya tactfully intervened over the Com radio as if she had heard the thought rushing through Marcus's brain. _"Rodger that Airhead. We have Reavers inbound from the north side. All Ravens, scramble. I repeat, Scramble. All units on high alert."_

_"Alright Control, KR- Seven Five is on it. Get your fangs out Sharpie, we're hunting big game today." _The sergeant growled but let the pilot slid off without a fight. Marcus had little time for Airhead. He was a good enough pilot, that much Marcus could admit and he had lasted longer than most. He had been appropriately named for everyone figured that he was full of hot air when he first showed up at Basic, claiming to be the next best Raven Jockey. Though his skills matched his bragging, the name stuck and became his Call Sign. Marcus knew little of his co-pilot and gunner, Gillian "Sharpie" Carter; only that she was almost never seen without Airhead and had a penchant for drawing on COG posters.

It did not take long to clear out the surgery and even less time to clean out the supplies stronghold. They continued to press forward and out into the streets beyond the hospital with fierce determination, leaving no Locust Drone or Grenadier standing. Bodies piled up high. Guns littered the ground beneath their booted feet. Thick pools of blood in every direction, staining the gravel a deep red. "The Locust are likely to be about the streets around the hospital. Get ready Delta!" Marcus shouted out towards his soldiers. Dom and Tai were way ahead of him. They took position around the courtyard, Lancers tearing up whatever they could see. Over the sirens and gunfire, Marcus heard what he could have only described as the thunderous beating of insect wings against the air.

It took a few moments for Marcus's brain to register what exactly he was hearing.

And it chilled him right down to the bone.

"Reavers!"

Spider-like in its design, the Reaver slammed into the earth and two other unfortunate Gears that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Eight powerful limbs holstered it's body upright, giving the beast an advantage against the remaining soldiers. Rockets exploded out of the Reaver's guns, alighting the courtyard in orange flames. Nearby, Dom and Tai had been completely pinned by the Locust chain gunner. They could not even make any attempt at blind fire. Marcus reached for his belt and grasped a Frag grenade between his fingers. Crouched down behind a stone hedge, Marcus pulled the pin, waited two seconds then threw it overhead towards the eight legged freak. As the sergeant had predicted, it exploded against the scaly skinned creature and proved an ample distraction. The Reaver rounded onto Marcus. The Squad leader rolled backwards to avoid getting splattered by another RPG. "Come Dom. Come on."

Answering the call, Dom and Tai popped up from behind their cover and tore up the sides of the Reaver with their Lancers. Bullet holes exploded with rivets of blood, pouring out like a scarlet waterfall. The Reaver reared back in pain and bucked the riders off. The two Locust riders fell to the ground with a hard crunch and did not get up. Before Dom and Tai could reload, the Reaver took to the skies once again.

Marcus pressed his Tac/Com. "Anya, Reaver has just escaped the courtyards."

"I'm on it Marcus. Seems KR- Seven Five is in the area."

"Make that pilot earn his keep for once. Right Delta, let's keep pushing through."

"Delta, I have reports that more Locust are in the streets beyond the hospital. Can you assist?"

"Rodger that Control, we're on it." The soldiers continued onwards, Marcus taking point as usual. There was no one better qualified to do so.

The next port of call was the cafeteria and as the soldiers had expected, it was completely brimming with Locust activity. The enemy squad was at least double their size but Marcus had faith in Dom and Tai. They were worth twenty Locust warriors on their own. If anyone could punch a hole in the Locust's defensive barrier, it would be Delta. Time and time again, Delta cut through the Locust force like a hot knife through butter. Marcus's heart sang beneath his armour, positively thriving on the heat of the battle. Had he not have been fighting so intently, Marcus might have felt the same way.

As they pushed back into the second complex of the hospital, Delta was surprised to find the rookie Benjamin Carmine in one of the corridors leading out into the streets beyond.

Marcus was pissed to say the least. He had enough crap to deal with without having to worry about Carmine losing his head the same way his brother had. "What the hell are you doing here rook?" Marcus barked.

The ever-polite, ever-cheerful private raised his Lancer slightly. "The area I was guarding got too hot sir so some Gears rounded me up to fight."

"Then why aren't you out there fighting?" Sergeant Fenix ground out, furious for no apparent reason.

"Still reloading Sarge, still haven't got that trick down yet."

Dom looked out the window and signalled to Marcus. "Better learn fast rook. Let's get out there Delta."

Outside the hospital was complete pandemonium. Bodies were thrown all over the place, the sky overhead was buzzing with Ravens locked in brutal combat with Reavers and various Gears desperately tried to push the invading Locust back. Nearly, Dom rolled into cover just in time to avoid losing his head. Marcus slammed another clip of ammo into his Lancer. She was greedy whore and he was running low on ammo. If only ammo could respawn then they would all be away and laughing.

When yet another Reaver suddenly crashed down to earth a few metres away, Marcus did not feel like laughing at all. He checked his ammo supply. He did not nearly have enough to take down the second Reaver. It seemed that the beast knew this for it quickly set its eight-eyed sight on the squad leader.

Over his Tac/Com, Anya buzzed in his ear. _"This is control requesting reinforcements in Sector 4."_

Another voice joined Anya on the line. _"Rodger that. KR- Seven Five is in the area."_

The Raven in question dropped out of the sky like a sort of metal guardian angel and for once, Marcus was glad to hear Airhead on the other line. The wings ejected out the side of the aircraft and the gunner Sharpie let rip a barrage of steel that left the air thick with bullets. While the chainguns tore up the Reaver, rockets were released on the remaining forces. Each made contact with a cluster of Locust soldiers and blew their remains sky high.

"Damn, that was a nice car too," Dom commented.

The Locust started to fall back from the streets, shooting blindly as they went. Marcus doubted they would hit anything. It was difficult enough to make killer shots while you were stationary, it was another story entirely if one was running backwards. The King Raven followed up behind them, reducing any injured stragglers to hamburger meat.

Delta cautiously peered out from their hiding spots, watching the Locust retreat. Marcus gave the all clear.

"Never seen them run like that," Dom stated before raising his Lancer once more. "Running won't help! I'll just shoot you in your asses!" he hollered out at retreating Locus. Just for good measure, Dom squeezed his trigger and sent several bullets sailing their way.

Marcus quirked an eyebrow. "You are pissed off today."

Dom spun around to face his companion. "Damn right! I miss my family! I'll kill every one of these god damned grubs," he stated fiercely.

The sergeant backed off, unwilling to be on the receiving end of Dom's justified rage. He turned his attention back to Carmine. "Nice work Delta. And Rook, Carmine you did good today."

Carmine's visor brightened at the comment. "Oh, thank you Sergeant Fenix," he chirped happily and turned for an expectant high five from Tai. The tattooed man merely blinked at the excitable young Private and pointed his shotgun in Carmine's direction. "Control, Delta here. Enemy threat is eliminated. Over."

Jack reappeared from his cloaking field and a small screen unfolded from his metal body. A fifteen inch Anya stared out at them, looking visibly relieved that all of Delta were relatively unscathed. _"Copy that Delta. Good job."_

"Everything okay on your end?" Marcus asked, an edge of concern lining his gruff voice.

_"Yeah. It was pretty close but I got out in time."  
_  
Dom joined Marcus's side. "What did you find on Maria Anya?"

The blonde looked away nervously, unsure just how to answer. _"I..."_

"Tell me Anya. Don't jerk me about," Dom stated fiercely.

Anya bit her lip. _"The Jane Doe I mentioned. She fits the description but...Well, it seems like she was released a few days ago. We don't have anything else on her,"_Anya explained, checking through her notes just to make sure that she had not made a mistake. Marcus highly doubted it. Anya never made such mistakes. She was a very organised person.

"But there's gotta be something else, another lead right?" Dom questioned, the desperation written clearly across his face and echoing in his voice.

Anya looked pained, almost helpless. _"I'm sorry Dom...That's it. I'm sorry." _

Dom's self restraint snapped. Before anyone could utter a word, Dom turned and smashed his Lancer into the window of a broken car so quickly and fiercely that Carmine nearly jumped right out of his armour. Dom then proceeded to kick the door of the innocent car until it caved in under the force of his impacts. When he suddenly stilled, no one dared to say anything to him. The rookie Carmine looked to Marcus for help.

"Copy that Anya. Delta out."

The squad leader clicked off his Tac/Com and approached his shuddering friend. "You okay Dom?"

Dom raised a hand towards Marcus but kept his forehead pressed against the frame of the vehicle. "Just...I'll catch up with you in a second Marcus."

"Yeah, whatever you need," Marcus said with a nod then indicated to the other two Gears. "Guys, let's move out. Hot showers on me."

Carmine let out a cheer and went scampering on ahead like a puppy dog off the leash with Tai following closely on behind. Marcus slung his Lancer onto his back and cast a weary glance towards his distressed companion. "We'll be at the Barracks," he stated. Dom only dipped his head slightly, barely even hearing the squad leader.

"Not again."

* * *

**COG Serial number:** PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 20:15  
**Current Location:**Jacinto, COG Barracks.

"And that was when he just lifted this crate off the ground like it weighed nothing."

Sharon looked up from her plate, her expression tired and lifeless. "Really?"

The woman frowned across the mess hall dinner table. They were in the one of the COG barracks, somewhere in the center of Jacinto. It was one of the few places that soldiers could retreat and catch some sleep or food before jumping right back into the fray. The complex was larger than most buildings in the city which was quite rightly so. It could house up to several thousand soldiers each with enough food to feed each one. After coming from a lavished upbringing, the barracks were still a touch too crowded for Jennifer Anderson. She could only imagine how Sharon must have felt. The Sinclair family had been even more wealthy than the Andersons - and Jennifer's father had owned several estates in the country before the war broke out.

Sharon - however - did not seem the least bit bothered. She sat happily wolfing down her dinner of mashed potatoes, sweetcorn and a single slice of meat. Jennifer looked at her own. The metal dinner tray in front of her lay forgotten for the younger medic was far too pent up to eat.

Sharon eyed the bowl of strawberry jelly still sitting on Jennifer's plate. "You going to eat that?" she asked, gesturing towards the dessert.

Jennifer shook her head and slid the bowl forward. "I have no idea how exactly you can eat that stuff. It's not really strawberry jelly. It's just all sugar and artificial colourings," the raven haired woman pointed out as Sharon dug into the dessert.

The older medic tapped the dish with a battered spoon. "Don't spoil this for me"

"It sort of looks like the inside of someone's stomach. It glistens in the same way."

The other female let out a groan and suddenly pushed the dish away with disgust. "Oh hate it when you do that," she stated with a scowl.

"Do what?"

"Bring up something like that. It's fucking weird."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're damn well not," Sharon fired back, petulant that Jennifer had put her off eating a perfectly good dessert. "Now I won't be able to look at jelly the same way."

"Well now you know how I feel about custard. Remember when you put cold custard inside Corporal Baird's boots when he was in the showers?" Jennifer was certain that they both remembered that moment very clearly. Never had they seen the Corporal so very furious.

Sharon grinned widely and cast a glance over her armoured shoulder. There was no mistaking that bleach blonde haired head and goggles. A few tables away was Sigma squad tucking into some well deserved dinner; plates piled high on the table. Jennifer wondered how they could eat so much without bursting at the seams.

"Yeah and we heard that really loud, audible squelch from the other side of the room."

Jennifer winced in recollection. "Remember what he did afterwards? He caught me, tipped it out on my head then stuffed me in an armour cupboard," Jennifer replied. She had learned after that day never to cross the bad tempered, mouthy blonde. He was leagues beyond her in every matter, and always would be

"He deserved it though Jenny. He's always pushing you around," Sharon replied with a frown.

"It was so embarrassing when Sergeant Fenix was the one who found me. Every other Gear already thinks I'm a complete loser. Once that got around, I was a complete laughing stock." Jennifer stated.

"You're not a loser Jen."

Jennifer slumped down in her chair. "I feel like one sometimes."

"Oh stop being so pessimistic already. It really grates after a while," Sharon fired back. Jennifer felt the comment sting. The medic was insecure and painfully aware of the fact. Living under ones renowned older brother for nearly ten years would do that to someone. Three years later after William Anderson's unsightly demise, Jennifer still possessed an inferiority complex the size of a Brumak.

And it only seemed to get bigger with each passing day.

Sharon looked at Jennifer thoughtfully. "I've upset you again haven't I?"

"No you haven't," the medic replied a little too quickly.

"Yes, I have. You're wearing that frowny, sad face of yours. That always makes me feel like a complete dick."

Jennifer pushed away from the table, determined not to look remotely upset. She plastered a smile upon her face that she really didn't feel for Sharon's benefit. "No, I'm just tired. I think I'll go and get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow. You do at least."

Though she was clearly unconvinced, Sharon did not push the subject. "Night Jenny. Don't let the Locust bite."

"Goodnight." With a weary head and even wearer heart, Jennifer left the mess hall and headed back down to the right wing of the barracks where most of the privates slept. Each room was little bigger than a broom cupboard and it was usually two to a room. Corporals and higher often had their own quarters but it was not unusual to find a Sergeant or Lieutenant crashed out in one of the spare rooms. They were often far too tired to even notice they were sleeping in a private's bed. Jennifer, like every other private, had been given a trunk and bunk in the barracks. It was their own responsibility to keep them tidy and if possible, clean. the COG demanded high standards in everything. Jennifer washed everything she owned nearly four times each fortnight – or more if she had been having a particularly stressful week. So far, Jennifer had lucky enough to have a room to herself. For some unfathomable reason, Jennifer's fellow soldiers seemed to avoid her as if her incompetence was contagious. The medic did not mind in the slightest. She preferred being alone.

Just looking to get the day over with, Jennifer wretched the door open and stepped inside her room.

There was only a slight problem.

It was certainly not as empty as she had left it that morning.

A helmeted Gear peered up at her from the spare bed, his body language seemingly sheepish underneath his armour. A Lancer and long scoped rifle lay on the trunk on the end of the bed, a clear indication that he was an intended frontline soldier. He scrambled up from the opposite bunk, the springs groaning in protest. "Oh hi, you must be Jennifer Anderson. I'm Ben Carmine. I'm your bunkmate for the night," he stated before offering the woman his hand. He sounded very young, possibly only Jennifer's age or younger. The medic extended her own, shook his hand then released it abruptly as if he were burning.

If he had noticed, he was too nice enough to say anything.

"Sorry about dropping in like this Anderson but they said this was only spare bed tonight." The Gear stopped and looked Jennifer's quarters. She didn't have much other than a picture of her mother, a very and faded blanket from her childhood and a couple of personal knick-knacks.  
"I promise I won't mess your space up," he added, tone so light hearted that Jennifer was sure he was smiling underneath his helmet. Jennifer was stunned. She wasn't entirely sure what to do. His sudden appearance had taken her completely by surprise.

Taking her silence in his step, Carmine continued to ramble on about the Landown mission; sounding like a child who was going to a toy store. He flopped down on the bunk opposite, not bothering to remove his armour. He just tugged his helmet off and dropped it on his trunk. For that, Jennifer was thankful. She was not entirely sure her blood pressure could have taken having the young soldier strip down in front of her.

"You going on the Landown mission?" he asked, hands braced behind his head. The woman sat on her own bed and picked up a complicated diagram of the human heart she had been studying the night before.

"No," Jennifer answered, pretending to read.

He rolled onto his side, clearly curious. "Why? You're a medic right?" he asked, his eyes dropping to the trademark white armour of the Medical Corps.

Jennifer looked up from her book and fiddled with her glasses nervously. "I...I have to stay here. I need to see to the civilians," she replied, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"Well that sucks. I figured that they would need all the medics they can get."

"So did I."

Silence drifted between them again, this time a touch more comfortable and less awkward. Carmine picked the photo frame on the shared beside table. "Is this your ma?" he asked.

Jennifer peered over at him. Her dark haired, startling lovely mother grinned back at them. She was waving at whoever had taken the picture - looking as if she didn't have a care in the world. The medic felt herself smile. "Yes, that's my mom."

"Wow, she's super pretty." Before she could open her mouth to comment, Carmine slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that she's very nice for a mom," he added nervously.

"No, no, it's fine really," Jennifer replied, feeling equally as anxious.

The Gear's shoulders sagged with relief. "Oh right. I thought I might've offended you or something. My ma is always telling me off for not thinking before I speak. My brain is racing with my mouth and my mouth is always winning." He reached up and scratched the nap of his neck in an almost nervous manner.

The woman managed to smile despite herself. His good mood was infectious. "You mentioned that you were a Carmine?"

"Yeah?"

Jennifer resisted the urge to reach up and adjust her glasses. "Did you...Were you a relation to Anthony Carmine?"

Carmine looked up, clearly curious. The blue visor of his helmet seemed to glow that little bit brighter. "He was my twin, did you know him?"

"He came in for stitches once," she replied. "He was really nice to me."

"Well, he was always showing off in front of the girls."

Jennifer reddened slightly at the comment, unsure where to place herself. "I-I-It wasn't like that. He was just being nice."

"Hey, it's alright. I was only teasing you."

Jennifer put down the diagram and pulled her legs up against her chest. She liked Anthony Carmine. He was nice and polite and very patient when she whist she had been doing his stitches. "Where is Anthony now? I haven't seen him in a while."

The helmeted Gear tensed up slightly on the bed and clasped his hands together as if contemplating something serious. "He died a few months back."

Jennifer's heart jumped right into her throat. Anthony Carmine? Dead? And she had not known? "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

Carmine's shoulders dipped slightly. "It's okay. At least he died a hero's death so he didn't die for nothing. I've got his tags with me, wanna see?"

"Oh okay."

Carmine sat up properly and started searching through his frayed sack of the pair of COG tags, talking all the while. "When he died, they sent us his Tags. My Ma figured it was better if I kept them. He was my other half after all. We were supposed to go into Basic together but I broke my leg a week before we had to go so I had to wait a while." He pulled them out from a side pocket and held the gleaming tags up to the light on the thin chain. "I'm gonna wear them tomorrow, for good luck," he stated before tossing them to Jennifer. She missed and they dropped to the ground with a clang.

She scrabbled to pick them up, her face an unflattering shade of beetroot red. "My brother's dead too. never got his Tags though," she remarked, tracing the name and serial number gently with her thumb. She had no idea why she was even telling him about her older brother but the words just spilled freely from her mouth. He just seemed to irradiate honesty and humor. She felt as if she could trust him freely.

"Man, that sucks. You should have gone and asked Colonel Hoffman. He would've got them."

"I know I should of but I didn't. My brother and I weren't that close. I think he was disappointed I wasn't a boy. He wanted a brother." Jennifer did not bother to add that he was disappointed with her in general.

The rookie nodded in an understanding way. "My Ma wanted girls. She got four boys instead. We were all really close. Guess it was because our dad had died when me and Anthony were toddlers." Jennifer felt a stab on envy. How great it must have been, to have such close family bonds with people who would protect you no matter what. Jennifer and her brother were little more than strangers. She handed the tags back over to the young soldier.

Carmine rolled onto his back once again and laced his hands across his chest.

"Well, we should probably get some shut eye. We have a big day tomorrow." He looked at her. "I'm sure you'll do your part too and make your family proud," he added quickly.

Jennifer flicked out the light and stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the tears that snaked down the curve of her cheeks. "Yes. Proud."

* * *

Maria had long since lost track of time. The days blurred together and she could never tell when it was night or day. Minutes crawled by and hours always seemed eternity away. Inside the cramped and dark holding cell, Maria Santiago shivered from both the cold and immense fear. The frozen, damp metal soaked through her clothing, chilling Maria right down to the marrow in her bones. Her legs ached from sitting cramped for so long. Her stomach rumbled and growled as loudly as a Wretch but none of it matter anymore. Things like warmth and food and solid comfort meant nothing when one knew they could die any minute. She told herself to be brave, trying to fool herself into believing that she were as brave as someone like Anya Stroud.

And for a while, she had been. Maria had lashed out against her captors, kicked them in the shins when they approached her and talked back at them whenever possible.

That morning, Maria had pushed her luck and tried to stab a Locust Drone with his own knife. She would have succeeded had the Locust in question not turned around just in time. She had expected to be tortured and killed for such an act of defiance. She had seen fellow prisoners slaughtered for much less. Instead, the Locust overseeing her work camp seemed to think that her attempts at retaliation highly amusing. They even used a special name for her, _Munnnaki_and enjoyed using it around her. A woman whom had been a professor of languages before said it sounded very tribal. Maria got a chance to ask what it meant for the professor was taken deeper into the Locust city.

And no one ever came back from there.

Outside the holding cell in the Locust underworld of Nexus, she heard the rattle and crunching of the lock being removed. Maria scrabbled onto broken heeled sandals just as the door swung. A Locust Drone was staring at her with large, acidic yellow eyes. He was a male, that much was for certain and seemed to expand in every direction. He had white skin dappled with flecks of grey that put Maria in mind of a fresh snowfall on concrete. On his chest and arms, inky tattoos decorated him that looked like they belonged on a totem pole or a mural. They seemed too perfect and intricate to adorn the body of a warrior who could easily perish the next day. Like his kin, he was armed to the teeth with a Hammerburst, Gorgon pistol and multiple grenades.

Mustering whatever courage she could, Maria openly glared. "May I help you?"

The Locust Drone said nothing and reached for the pack strapped to his belt. For a wild moment, Maria was sure that he was going to shoot her. But instead of withdrawing a pistol, the Locust produced a canteen of liquid. He held it to Maria, vacant stare all the while. Maria stared, unsure whether or not to take the canteen of water.

When she still made no move for the canteen, the Drone glanced over his shoulder quickly then shook the container again. "You must drink," he commanded, the characteristic Locust hiss evident in his voice.

With trembling fingers, Maria reached out and grasped the offering tightly. The Drone continued to watch her as she pulled back and unscrewed the cap. Maria sniffed the rim carefully, wondering briefly if it were poisoned. She frowned to herself. At least poison would get it over with. She shelved her concerns and tipped her head back. Cool, refreshing and more importantly clean water slid down her dry throat and it was several seconds before Maria released just how thirsty she was.

When the canteen was half empty, Maria managed to stop herself and made an effort to hand it back to the Drone. To her great astonishment, the Locust Drone held a hand up.

"You may keep it," he hissed. More than happy to comply, Maria clutched the contained to her chest.

"Who are you?"

The Locust soldier looked over his shoulder again then back to the human captive. "I am Ragnarok," he replied, placing a hand on dappled skin. Maria quirked her dark haired head to the side and tried to repeat his name. He said it twice more before finally nodding when Maria managed to get her tongue around the complex Locust pronunciation.

"Thank you Ragnarok," she said as politely as she knew how eve though she wanted nothing more than to scream.

The Locust Drone said nothing else and quickly shut the door on Maria again. She heard the all too familiar sound of a lock being clicked back into place then the heavy footsteps leaving her holding cell. It was not until they had faded completely did Maria crouch back down into the darkness once more, her head swimming with questions. Never had she seen the Locust be even remotely tolerant of humans, yet alone help one. It didn't make sense. Were the Locust just toying with her? Attempting to gain her trust only to squish her again. Would they cut off the rest of her hair tomorrow?

She stared up at the air vents in her containment pod. Her fingers tightened around the water canteen.

* * *

**COG Serial number:** SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time**: 07:00  
**Current Location:**Jacinto, Landing pads.

If there was one thing that Marcus Fenix hated more than Locust, it was tardiness. He despised it when his soldiers were late. They had a war to win. He, Dom and the rook should have taken off by now and be well on their way to Landown. Instead, he was stuck waiting for Delta's Medic to hurry up. Inside the cockpit of the King Raven he was leaning against, Airhead and Sharpie had taken to playing a game of cards. Marcus could hardly blame them. His own temper was simmering away like a pot that had long since overboiled.

Dom was at his side, eager to get underway as well. Nothing was worse than sitting twiddling your thumbs. "I wonder where that medic has got to?" he asked.

Marcus glanced at his digital display. The field Medic was nearly twenty minutes overdue. Nearly every other Raven had already shipped out. "Fuck, I'm half tempted to take off without her."

"Anya will give you an earful if you do," Dom cautioned, checking his Lancer for the seventh time that morning.

"Yeah, I'm sure she would," Marcus grumbled half-heartedly, thoroughly unimpressed that the medic was late. He had not even wanted one to begin with but Anya had insisted it upon him "It's just as a precaution Marcus. It would really help me to know you had one when you're down there," She had said the most reasonable tone possible. Then she had smiled in a way that could civilize Locust headhunters. Marcus had unwillingly melted in the blonde's gloved hands and reluctantly agreed to keep her happy. "I'll give that damn Medic five more minutes then we're taking off."

"Alright, but don't shitty at me if Anya hauls you across the coals." Marcus threw his companion a very hard glare indeed and turned his attention back to the King Raven. Marcus liked King Ravens. They were magnificent machines to say the least. Sleek, aerodynamic and armed to the teeth with thousands of bullets and hundreds of rockets, they had sent many Locust running for the hills when they showed up. The only problem with the birds was which the manoeuvrability. King Ravens could not dodge or roll quickly enough to avoid rockets. Spider-like Reavers could often take down several in a heartbeat.

Carmine was sitting on the side of the flying machine, legs swinging against the Raven's metal belly and humming away to himself. Marcus wondered just how exactly he managed to stay so cheerful and chipper. Marcus sometimes wished he had a rose coloured visor as well.

It was not until he heard the hurried footsteps of another soldier did he finally relax slightly. Marcus peered over the heads of his fellow soldiers, searching for the trademark white of the COG medics. It did not take long before he saw a small woman hurrying towards them with carrying two or three med-kits. Despite his anger, Marcus cocked an eyebrow as the Medic dodged through the crowds towards his Raven. She was very little and looked as if she belonged on a toyshop shelf instead of fighting a war. She also seemed oddly familiar though and he could not quite place where exactly he had seen her before

Marcus did not dwell on the matter for very long. Female or not, he intended to give the woman a good piece of his mind.

"You're late!" he yelled at the private the moment she arrived.

The little medic jumped as if an electrical current had just surged through her. She peered up at him through thick lenses that made her eyes seem twice as large as normal. "S-sir?"

Marcus tapped his digital display, not bothering to hide his irritation. "We were supposed to be out of here twenty minutes ago! Where have you been?"

"I-I..don't know what you mean Sir!" The squad leader rolled his eyes and marched forward.

"Don't play dumb with me private. Lift off was twenty fucking minutes ago. Now, get on the damn Raven!" Before the woman could protest, Marcus Fenix grasped her by the back of her chest plate and hauled her towards the Raven. "Please! Let me explain sir! - "

"How about a little less talking and a little more getting the hell on that Raven soldier!" he ground out before he shoved her into the spare seat and signalled to the Raven's pilot. Airhead gave him a thumbs up then proceeded to spin up the engines. Dom and Marcus strapped themselves onto one side with Carmine and the woman on the other. Clearly terrified beyond belief, the little Medic tried her very best to escape the flying machine. "No no no, please don't! I have a terrible fear of –" Marcus never found out what the girl was afraid of for the deafening roar of the engines cut her off dead. The bird launched upwards off the ground, climbing higher and higher with each passing second. The medic squealed in fright and clung Carmine's arm as if she feared she would fall right out. Over the deafening engines of the Raven, Dom hooted with laughter. Marcus rolled his eyes and massaged his temple.

It was going to be a long ride.

* * *

**As you can see, I've changed a few bits here and there in my derpy way. I guess I should probably explain myself then.**

**1. Since Anthony and Benjamin Carmine as so similar, I decided to make them twins instead. Rebel I know.**

**2. Raven Callsigns. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed but I could never keep track of the Ravens in the game. I know something like that isn't important to some but it bothered me. So I decided to give some life to pilots of the COG, give them callsigns so people know who is in the cockpit. **

**3. Maria. I always wondered what exactly happened to her down in Nexus so this is my attempt at giving Maria more of a part in the storyline. Even though she is really important to Dom, we see very little of her so I wanted to try and change that a little.**

**4. Ragnarok (named for ship Ragnarok in FFVIII and also the judgement day in Norse mythology) I'm convinced that the Locust are much smarter than the games let on and would like to explore their society in my own way. **

**And I think that about covers it. You know what to do =)**

**Fire Out.**


	2. II: Take me to the Precipice

**Fire here.**

**Holy shiz! Reviews! Thank you all so very much! :] I was worried that my story was really bad but you've proved me wrong. Love to you all. Big thanks to all those who read this crap and an even bigger thanks to the following: **_**DamonxBairdx, ExcusingTheSlightAnachronism, Electric Eclectic, Scorpling-No-Okami and of course, Jord! **_

**Other than that, Read and Review as per usual. I love hearing what my readers have to say. I hope I haven't missed out any mistakes. My proofing is bloody awful.**

**Thank you Judge Magister Fermus for all your input over the years. Without you, Jennifer would still be sitting in draft hell. Forever grateful bro.**

* * *

**Gears of War 2: **Crimson Cross

**Chapter Two: **Take me to the Precipice

**"We follow the taillights out of the city  
Moving in a river of red  
As the colours fade away from dusky sunset  
We roll for the darkness ahead"  
**-Bardic,** "Vagabond"**

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 08:25  
**Current Location:**COG military Encampment, Three hundred miles northeast of Jacinto.

Never had another Raven been so at home in the skies.

The sun had only just blinked onto the horizon when the helicopter flew through the air with the grace of an eagle. Swells and gusts beat against the hull of the Raven like an unrelenting drum. Across the far reaches of pale blue canvas, shades and hues of orange and yellow streaked from end to end of the horizon. Fresh winter air flooded into the lungs of the choppers occupants and filled the passengers with some level of hope. The KR- Seven Five – nicknamed "Angela" - was indeed as beautiful as she was feisty. All across her hull, scars from previous battles marred her once perfect metal body. Bents from bullets and bashes were rife across the metal frame. Despite how war-torn and busted up the Raven appeared, she was still a fighter and had lasted much longer than most.

It was not long before KR – Seven Five reached the drop-off point, a good forty or so miles out of Landown. An encampment of tents sprawled out ahead along with hundreds of soldiers, dozens of tanks and a handful of Assault Derelicts.

"You can look now. We've landed," Marcus said gruffly to the medic opposite. The concept was actually quite laughable. A Gear being afraid of heights.

Anderson peeked through trembling, gloved fingers. Instead of open sky beneath their booted feet, stone gravel and bits of twigs carpeted the ground beneath them. The thundering roar in their ears had disappeared completely. The blades on the Raven had ceased cleaving the air had had stilled to merely a soft hum._"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We have officially arrived in Fort Hellhole, please enjoy your stay. If you are going on for connections, then we wish you a pleasant and safe journey. On behalf of the crew, I'd like to thank you for flying Air Raven and we hope to see you again soon,"_Airhead sounded out over the King Raven's com system. Marcus rolled his eyes and started unbuckling himself from the chair. "Fucking comedian," he mumbled under his breath, his anger apparent. The other two gears said nothing, neither willing to add to his already awful mood. It was hardly surprising. Jennifer Anderson had just informed them that she was not the Corporal Miranda Deans that they had been anticipating. The Latino man strapped in next to him smiled slightly and gave the sergeant a nudge.

"Let it go man. It's not that big of a deal." The blue eyed sergeant gave him a disgruntled look.

"You'll find it is," Marcus growled out, his aura dangerous and fractious. Dom rolled his dark eyes and glanced at the medic an apologetic smile that Marcus guessed was for his benefit rather than hers. When the soldiers slid out of the Raven, the little medic followed; tripping once as she scrambled out of the bird. Marcus scowled to himself.

One rookie was bad enough, two left Marcus ready to call it quits.

Jack hovered down beside him, awaiting orders from the squad leader. "Jack, link me up to Anya. Let's find out what this girl can do." The robot let out several, high pitched chiming notes before a small screen unfolded from the base. The pretty face of Anya Stroud stared back at Marcus, her eyes bright. Immediately the squad leader felt his blood cool at the mere sight of her. She always had that affect on him. _"Oh, something up Marcus?"_she asked.

The said Gear took a deep breath. "Yeah, I picked up the wrong medic."

Just as he expected, Anya groaned and leaned back in her hand; one hand pressed against her forehead._"Oh Marcus! How did you manage that?"_the blonde scolded, looking extremely displeased with him.

And that did not often happen to the squad leader.

"Sorry Anya, it was a case of mistaken identity. The one I got was just coming to the Raven with supplies. Medics look all the same to me."

_"Who did you pick up?"_she asked with a sigh.

Marcus looked to the small, fragile looking Gear waiting by the Raven with Dom and Carmine and could not believe that the woman had even passed basic training. "Anderson. Jennifer, I think she said."  
_  
"Her name rings a bell. Let me just have a look."_ Delta's leader heard the angry little taps on her keyboard even some three hundred miles away._ "Right. Here we are."_ Anya whistled, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at the sergeant. Marcus was glad for the distraction. _"She's got quite a bit on her file Marcus."  
_  
"Give it to me." Marcus inquired.

On the fifteen inch screen, Anya bit her lip. _"That depends. Her entire family has been in the military for decades, right back to before the Pendulum Wars. Really decorated family. Her dad and grandfather were both majors and William Anderson was her brother."_

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "The Fighting Bull Anderson?"

_"Apparently so."_

"So what's the problem?" Marcus asked.  
_  
"Well, she's a fairly recent recruit but...She's been blacklisted from the Air Corp by Colonel Autumn himself...She's got multiple demerits, no Centaur Tank license and – hang on a second. Listen to this, she even shot her firearms instructor. She just barely scraped a pass at Basic. She failed once already."_

Marcus groaned and hauled a hand over his scarred face. "Ah hell...what can she do then?"

"Scored top of her class for theory, qualified medic and she can speak and read Locust."

"Well, we've not going to be talking to the Locust that's for damn sure," Marcus stated sternly.

"You wanted to know, I've told you."

"Now I wish you didn't."

Anya bit her lip. _"What are you going to do about her? I might be able to get you a transfer."_

The sergeant cast one last glance towards the medic by the King Raven. Against the dark grey steel of the aircraft, Anderson looked so very white and pale. Of course, the pearly grey armour and pitch black hair did not do her any favours. She looked like a little ghost that was about to fade away completely. The only ounce of colour on the small woman was large red cross inside a cog, stamped upon her chest plate and her back.

"I'll keep her with us," said Marcus, ignoring his better judgement. She sounded like a good enough medic. In the end, that was all he really needed.

Anya frowned. _"Are you sure Marcus? That could be dangerous, for both your squad and her safety. You need a seasoned medic. Anderson hasn't even been out in the field yet."  
_  
"No better time to try. I'll make something of her. Eventually."

His words relaxed Anya's worried expression. _"Well, if anyone can do something with her, it will be you. I heard Carmine is doing much better now."_

Marcus shrugged. "Carmine has some real talent. The other kid is a class-A runt. This was the one who Baird stuffed away in a suit cupboard."

The blonde winced in recollection. _"I remember that incident. I'll get her senior officer contacted and sort everything out."_

"Thanks Anya. I'll contact you before we saddle up. Delta out." The small screen folded itself back together and slid into the main body of the little robot. He clicked at Marcus with his little chimes again, optical sensors blinking curiously. "Let's go Jack." Like an eager little puppy, the machine followed Sergeant Fenix back to the awaiting squad.

Dom looked up with interest, Lancer casually grasped in his hands. "Well? What's the story?"

"I'll tell ya later." Marcus looked to the quivering Anderson and wondered if he had shot himself in the foot by taking on such a massive task. "I got your service record Anderson."

The woman looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Y-You did sir?"

"Yeah, and for starters, drop that 'Sir' crap. We're not that nice out here."

"But...what do I call you then?"

"'Sergeant' will do."

Anderson nodded. "Okay...Sergeant Fenix." She still looked frightened and unsure.

Marcus frowned.

It was like trying to talk to a martian.

"And secondly, don't look so fucking scared. I've got your record, I know your history. I'm not going to boot you out. You're coming with us to Landown later."

The woman nodded again, a little more firmly this time. "But sir – Sergeant," she hastily corrected herself. "With all due respect, I haven't been cleared for fieldwork yet," she stated, looking slightly defeated again. Marcus hated self-pity and despised it in his soldiers. He would have to make sure to work that out of her. He quickly hid his annoyance behind a smirk. "You have now. As of this moment, you're officially a field medic."

Anderson opened her mouth to say something when a loud and audible grumble from Carmine's stomach cut her off. The rookie Gear looked down at his belly and scratched the nape of his neck guiltily. "Oh sorry, I forgot to eat this morning. All the excited this morning got to me."

"Oh Rook!" Marcus ground out.

"Sorry Sarge," Carmine apologised.

The squad leader turned to Dom. "What do you say Dom? Want some food before we ship on out?"

"Hey, I wouldn't say no to that. Have we got time though?"

Marcus glanced at his digital display. "We're to meet at the rigs at 10:00. Plenty of time."

"Sweet." Anderson did not protest in the slightest but none of the other Gears expected her to.

With the little medic in tow, Delta moved deeper into the encampment. Soldiers, pilots and medics alike moved in throngs here, there and everywhere. The settlement breathed with life and new hope, the whisper of victory skimming upon everyone's mind. Even Marcus himself felt somewhat inspired again. Every now and then, one of the group would cast their eyes back to make sure that Anderson had not gotten lost or separated. Much to their surprise, the woman was keeping pace behind them and carrying her few cases of medical equipment. Carmine – the polite one of the group – offered to assist her but the medic stuttered out a refusal, cheeks pink.

Dom and Marcus shared a knowing smirk

In the center of the settlement was an extremely large, khaki tent that had been set up as makeshift mess-hall. Many COG soldiers had taken up getting some breakfast before the big push out. Marcus could hardly blame them.

Better to go out on a full stomach.

Inside the mess hall, nothing but the sound of forks and knifes chiming could be heard. Anderson followed on behind, trying to appear as small as possible. It was not hard. She was at least half their height and weight. Marcus supposed she only stood at around five foot, a dwarf compared to other soldier. Several soldiers looked up in their direction, snorted at the very sight of the small woman then muttered something to one another. Marcus simply frowned them into silence.

Nothing else was needed when one was the leader of Delta squad. Sometimes he was glad of his reputation.

Upon receiving his breakfast, Marcus scowled at what he assumed was scrambled eggs on toast. It seemed to slide together around the plate in a congealed mess. Dom did not seem very impressed at his own dish and looked to Marcus with raised eyebrows. "You think they'd fed us better after all the crap we put up with."

"Go figure."

Carmine, however, did not seem the least bit bothered and happily sat down at the nearest table. He quickly removed his helmet and dug into his breakfast without complaint. Anderson did not get any breakfast and simply settled for a cup of lukewarm, instant coffee. She took a seat back down next to Dom and heaped several spoons of sugar in the tar-like substance; earning a few looks disgust from the other soldiers. "So Anderson, how did you end up in the army? No offense, but you don't look like the soldier type to me," Dom remarked, giving his breakfast a stab. Marcus grunted in agreement. Most of the female soldiers within the COG army were so bulky and muscled that it was hard to tell them apart from the males. Gender was not often an issue. The COG took every volunteer they could get their paws on, even if their soldiers had their reproductive organs on the inside. Being a woman meant nothing anymore. It did not buy any special privileges nor attention and the female soldiers fought just as bravely as the males.

They were all in the war together.

The female looked up from her drink. "I didn't really have much choice. My brother was in the army."

"Yeah I knew William. One hell of a soldier. It's a shame he's gone."

"Yes, it is." she replied simply and nothing else was said on the manner. She shrunk back into silence like a turtle would in a shell. Marcus sighed and was content to listen to Dom and Carmine chatter away. Once the squad had eaten their fill, Carmine put his helmet back on and leaned back in his chair to let his food settle while Dom sipped tea from an old ceramic mug. Marcus was happy enough to just sit and relax in the calm of the storm.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. Marcus looked up sharply, only to see Anderson looking as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Hello ladies."

Marcus recognised that voice all too well. He craned his neck and let out a groan.

Corporal Damon Baird was standing behind them, grinning broadly. Marcus both hated and respected him at the same time. Baird made it impossible to do anything else. He was tall with blonde hair and sea blue eyes that were usually angry. His armour was identical to Carmines and he wore a pair of goggles braced around his forehead that he was almost never seen without. The only problem with Damon Baird was he had just as much attitude as brains which made for a deadly combination. Marcus got the impression that Baird generally hated the world and made sure that everyone else knew about it.

The squad leader shrugged off Baird's hand with a scowl. "Nice to see you too," he grumbled.

"I know. Everyone is always pleased to see me."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm this early in the morning, Baird."

The blonde have a careless shrug. "That's alright, heaps of other people do."

"What planet are you living on?" Marcus fired back.

"One with less oxygen obviously," Dom added in his two cents worth.

"Real funny Dom. You write your own material?" the blonde snapped back and sat in a spare seat, glaring across the female with something close to contempt. Baird shifted his blue eyed gaze back to Marcus. "What is she doing here?" he spoke as if Anderson was not present.

From the look on her face, it seemed as if Anderson sorely wished she wasn't.

Marcus casually raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying Baird's reaction. "She's a medic Baird, thought that might have been obvious."

"No, what _is _she doing here?"

"I don't see how that's any your damn business," Marcus remarked before taking a bite out of his toast. He was surprised. It wasn't as bad as it looked.

"Well when she gets you killed, don't come crying to me," Baird said with haughty snort.

Anderson sunk down lower in her chair. Dom looked towards her sympathetically. Before anything further could be said, Carmine came to Anderson's defense. "Hey! You shouldn't say things like that. That's really mean."

Marcus and Dom smirked slightly, watching the scene unfold with interest.

But sadly, Baird chose to regard Carmine as a spider would a fly. "And you are who exactly?"

"Ben Carmine. I'm Delta's new trainee," he answered with utter pride.

The blonde let out a small chuckle of laughter. "Heh, the Locust are going to smoke you like a fine cigar kid."

Carmine's helmeted head dropped slightly, shoulders tense under his armour. A glare burned at Baird through the confines of steel and titanium, just daring him to make another comment. "Let them try. I'll take them all on," the rookie stated boldly.

Dom raised his cup slightly. "You tell him Carmine."

"Shut up Dom."

"You got the stones to make me man?"

"You'll see all about my stones when I'm pissing on your grave."

Marcus intervened before Dom lobbed his mug at the mouthy blonde. "Baird, would you just fuck off already?" he growled at the blonde.

Baird cracked a wicked smile. "Hey, I just thought I'd come and wish you all good luck for later because I'm _such_a nice person," he answered before casting a glance back towards the two privates. "You're gonna need it." With that, Baird left the table and rejoined his new squad on the other side of the canteen. Carmine muttered something rather rude under his breath.

Dom smiled at an utterly miserable Anderson. "Don't let him get to you. He's always like that, even with us. Right Marcus?"

"Yeah. A regular dick with a chip on his shoulder," the squad leader added.

"Why do you put up with him Sarge?"

Marcus frowned. "Baird is smart. Scary smart. And he can handle himself in a fight. That's why," Marcus responded before glancing at the medic again. It was then that he became aware of the fact that the woman had no weapons, only a few boxes of medical supplies. "You got any weapons? A Lancer?"

Anderson shook her ebony haired head. Her hair was short and stuck up in every direction, as if she had been hauling her hands through it. "No Sergeant Fenix. Sergeant Marko said I wasn't to have one," she replied.

"We should probably get you a Lancer or something. Maybe a Shotgun as well."

"Lancer? Shotgun? Do you really think I should have them?"

Marcus leaned back in his chair, a frown plastered on his face that very clearly said: _Yes-I-do-so-don't- insult-my-intelligence-and-your own-by-suggesting-otherwise_. "Yes, they might come in handy if you have to fight your way to a downed soldier."

"I haven't handled a Lancer since..." she trailed off.

"Yeah, I know. Who did you shoot anyway?" he grunted.

Dom and Carmine looked rather interested. Anderson had become the center of attention. She looked as if she rather wasn't. "I shot Sergeant Marko. I-I really didn't mean to though. It was an accident," Anderson insisted quickly, glancing at the other Gears as if she were trail and they were the jury.

The Latino man let out a chuckle.. "Good for you kid."

"Dom!"

"Sorry man but you know what a ball-buster he is. Hell, he could be part Locust. He damn well looks it."

Carmine bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah Sarge, he always threatening to throw Clay out of the army for 'insubordination'."

The sergeant rolled his eyes. So much for unity amongst the ranks. "Anyway, you'll need something. Even if it's just Shotgun," Marcus stated.

"I can take her to the supply tent now Sarge," Carmine offered "I saw it when we were passing."

Marcus raised his eyebrows at Dom. "Sure Rook, if you're really _that _eager."

Anderson reddened and looked to Carmine. The young soldier caught the implications in Marcus's words and held up his gloved hands. "I'm just being nice Sarge, don't look at me like that," he insisted earnestly.

"Yeah. Right," Dom added with a grin.

"Oh Dom, not you too," Carmine whined.

"Well, get a move on Rook. Time is wasting."

"Yes Sarge. Let's go and get you geared up Anderson." The gear stood up and motioned for the raven haired woman to do the same. Anderson collected up her med-kits and followed the rookie soldier out of the makeshift mess-hall and into the encampment beyond.

Once the two rookies were out of sight, Dom smiled slightly and returned to his tea. "Kids today."

"Yeah. Tell me about it."

* * *

**COG Serial number: **PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 09:05  
**Current Location:**COG military Encampment, Three hundred miles northeast of Jacinto.

"Hey there, what you need?" a red-haired, cheerful woman asked the pair of soldiers. Jennifer could only stand and stare with open mouthed shock at the hundreds of guns laid out before her very eyes. Underneath another COG tent, there was enough ammunition to choke a Brumak. Lancers lined every surface, Hammerbursts hung overhead, boxes upon boxes of grenades were piled high upon each other along with stacks upon stacks of Sniper shots. Along with countless hundreds of Lancer ammo, the supply tent also had several full sets of COG armour with dozens of replacement boots, helmets and chest plates. With so such ammo and resources, Jennifer why on earth they had not won the war yet.

Carmine looked around the tent with indifference. "A Lancer, shotgun and a few sets of grenades."

"Serial number and squad," asked the female redhead, producing a heavy clipboard. The COG was still fond of its paperwork it seemed.

"Anderson, what's your COG serial number?"

"Oh, uhm, I think it's PV-J.A.010-101-011-992. I'm with Delta."

The corporal scribbled down Jennifer's details quickly and hid the clipboard back under the desk. "Righto. Hang on a few moments." She turned and started gathering up the requested supplies. Carmine turned to Jennifer. "Gosh, all those zeros and ones in your serial numbers and you can still remember it. That's kinda cool" Carmine remarked, admiration in his voice.

Jennifer gave a shrug. "I'm pretty good at remembering numbers. Do you know yours?"

Carmine shook his head. "Nope, I had wrote it down on a piece of card and I can't remember what I did with it."

The redhead returned with Carmine's request. "Here we go, One Lancer, shotgun and a few grenades." Jennifer picked up her weapons delicately as if they were made of gold. "Thanks," Carmine replied.

Corporal Kingsley flashed the male soldier a smile that could have charmed the scales off a snake. "Good luck now stud."

Jennifer unwillingly - and rather unexpectedly - bristled at the redhead but the young Gear made no indication that he noticed. In all fairness, Carmine was so good natured that he was probably just too polite to say anything. He turned back to Jennifer, his tone cheerful. "We have some time before we head off to the rigs, do you want some target practice?"

The female was so shocked at the offer that she nodded before she even realised what she had been asked. Carmine turned on his booted heel and trotted out of the supply tent. Jennifer followed beside him, completely relaxed in his company. Carmine babbled away about everything and anything. He talked about Basic, about the Locust, about his family and friends and even the weather. Jennifer soaked up every word like an overgrown sponge. Her fellow soldiers never usually spoke to her. Apart from Sharon, most just either ignored or bullied her. She had no courage to defend herself because everything they said was true and it was just easier to accept anything they threw at her.

Carmine suddenly stopped and Jennifer halted beside him. A few metres away was a wide open field covered with spent shells and other weapon rubble. At the furthest end of the grassland plain was at least ten Locust shaped fabric dummies hanging from miniature gallows; complete with pallid skin, button eyes and goofy grins. They could have been quite cute had two soldiers not been tearing them up with Lancer rounds. "Let's see if we can't improve your aim a little. I'm not very good yet but I can sure try and help you," Carmine remarked, leading her towards the improvised firing range. Lines of white paint had been sprayed across the ground opposite the targets, marking out distances.

"Get your Lancer out and show me what you can do."

Jennifer did as instructed, Carmine standing by her side watching her every move. "Your elbow is too high. Here." The rookie reached out and applied some pressure onto her elbow, effectively leveling her lancer out. A blush rose up her neck. _Think of something scary Jenny, think of something scary she thought to herself_. A sudden image of Baird in her head chased away her hot embarrassment and replaced it with cold dread. One blue eye closed behind thick lenses as she aimed through the sights and squeezed the trigger. A burst of bullets erupted from the nose of the Lancer but the force of the recoil made Jennifer squeal in shock and fall backwards in an ungraceful heap. The four bullets sailed on right past the dummy – missing it by miles and pinging off into the treeline. Carmine burst out laughing at the raven haired woman, flat on her back and looking as if she had just been prodded with a stun-gun.

Jennifer's cheeks were hot with humiliation. "Damn, I really suck..."

Carmine ceased laughing and offered her a gloved hand. "Hey, don't worry about it. Just have another go."

The medic grasped his forearm and he pulled her right off the ground without any hint of exertion. "Carmine, I'm not very good at this," she complained.

"Don't worry, it's no biggy. Just try again." Reluctantly, Jennifer picked up the Lancer and fired another burst.

Just as she had expected, her aim so completely off that she was sure the dummies were laughing at her.

And so were the two other Gears off to the side. "Nice shot love."

"Yeah, real nice. The Locust are going to skin you rookies alive." They laughed again and Jennifer felt a rush of all too familiar defeat. She looked down to hide the building tears but the rookie saw them. Carmine jerked his head towards the other Gears then unclipped the Scoped Longshot from his back. The young soldier said nothing and took aim at the dummies that the other two soldiers had been firing at. Without using the targeting scope mounted on the Longshot, Carmine swiftly decapitated a Locust target of all of its head, its limbs then the chain that it had been hanging from.

The dummy fell to the ground with a lifeless _plop._

The two offending Gears were completely speechless, as was Jennifer.

"Yeah, maybe you'll remember that when a rookie is saving your ass," Carmine fired back at the two Gears. He then shouldered his Longshot and turned to the medic, his head quirked in a playful manner. Jennifer could clearly picture his grin beneath the confines of his helmet and could not help but smile herself. He just seemed to have that affect on her. "Wow, you're really good at this," she breathed.

"Heh, it's just luck," he remarked with a shrug.

It was the closet that Benjamin Carmine would ever get to bragging.

"Right Anderson, try again."

The woman complied with a renewed confidence that she had not felt in some time. If she could have shot with the tiniest fraction of Carmine's skill, Jennifer was sure that she could die happy.

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 10:00  
**Current Location:**COG military Encampment, Three hundred miles northeast of Jacinto.

Ten am rolled by far too quickly for Marcus Fenix's taste. He would have preferred another hour at the very most, perhaps gotten some more rack time down since he got very little the night before. Still, no point in complaining about it now. Behind Delta followed comprising of Dom, A fully charged Jack, the Rook and the Runt. Marcus had seen to it that the female was armed with a Lancer, even if she was terrified to use it. The rational part of him piped up, warning him to the dangers of handing Jennifer Anderson – of all people – a weapon. The other unorthodox side had wondered just how much damage the small, awkward medic could do with it anyway.

Not a hell of a lot.

He took consolation in the fact that, should she shoot him, at least she was around to pick out the bullets before he throttled the life out of her.

"So why Landown Sergeant? Why not just drill down in Jacinto?" the rookie Gear asked curiously.

"Because Jacinto is the one place they can't dig though and Landown is perfect spot to hide 'em on their own turf," Marcus answered with a determined frown.

"I heard there's a shitload of grubs there Sergeant." His tone sounded merry, almost excited. Delta's leader resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was so unbelievably green it just wasn't even funny.

"More like ten shitloads," he responded and looked to Dom with a small smile. The ever cheerful, ever positive Carmine bounced along happily next to the quiet Medic; chattering about this and that to fill up the silence. Marcus almost wished that the medic was mouthy. At least a complete bitch would say something, anything. Anderson only often spoke when spoken to and when she did say something, Marcus had to strain his ears to catch it.

Unless she was conversing with Carmine. She was a touch more open with him than with Dom or Marcus himself. He supposed it was because Carmine was a touch for approachable, closer to her age and rank.

The Rookie and the Runt.

Such a delightful combination.

When the group was approached by another COG soldier, Marcus reshuffled his concerns. The sixth soldier was a man in his fifties wearing a rather battered suit of COG armour and a frayed Cowboy hat that had certainly seen better days. A greying beard covered his entire chin and some of his cheeks; thick and bushy enough to get lost in. Thin age lines tugged at his eyes, marking out every path and choice he had taken in his lifetime. Although he was technically half a century old, his age didn't seem to bother the soldier for he greeted them as cheerfully as Carmine would have.

"Welcome to the big suck Sergeant Fenix. You ready to hit the road then?" The older man tipped his hat upwards in a friendly greeting.

"You know it," Marcus replied, his mouth pulling into a small smirk.

"Then let's go chuck some bullets at them grubs," the man gestured forwards to the several Assault Derrick – Or "Rigs" for the lazy - that were parked on the outskirts of the camp. Mechanics were making the last final rounds on the Rigs; doing last minute task or repairing minor glitches. Marcus cast an appreciative eye across the machines. Though he was not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination but even he could value the craftsmanship and effort that it took to assemble the Derrick. On the driver's cockpit pod, the Rig's serial number and name had been stamped on in bold white lettering for all the world to admire.

Marcus turned to his small squad. "You heard him guys, get up on deck. Except you Anderson."

She blinked, looking like a startled owl. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You're riding inside."

"Inside?" The woman looked to the rig quickly, biting down on her lower lip.

"Yeah, you're not really a soldier so you should probably stay hidden until we need you. Unless you'd rather ride in one of the Ravens," Marcus stated.

Anderson paled at the very thought then shook her head vigorously. "No Sergeant."

"Then get in. we'll holler you up if we need you. For your sake, I hope we don't."

As instructed, Anderson scrambled up and into the cockpit with the Rig driver. Even behind the closed glass and steel of the pod, Marcus could still hear the driver blether on rather loudly to the clearly bewildered Medic. The Tac/Com upon Marcus's ear buzzed slightly before the driver opened a link with him and the rest of the squad. _"Oh yeah, names Dizzy. And my rig is the little sweet thang Betty. Say hi Betty."_

The Rig's horn honked slightly in response. "You a Conscript?" Marcus asked, already knowing the answer. Dizzy sounded far too loose and relaxed to be anything but a conscript.  
_  
"I ain't no choice when we took the lifeboat assistance. Family got the groceries but Daddy got conscripted. Life's a bitch like that,"_Dizzy remarked as the Rig slithered forward into a slow crawl. Dom and Marcus nodded in agreement. They had both seen too many conscripted kids die a few weeks into their term. It was a minor miracle that Dizzy had lasted for so long. The Derrick pulled out of the encampment and started towards the Northeast horizon. Landown was at least thirty miles away. It would have been nothing had they been riding Ravens but the Assault Derrick's could only get up to an impressive fifteen miles per hour.

Which meant for a rather long ride.

Across the rock formation, another Rig rolled on by._"Delta, Baird here. Apparently, I'm riding on Marilyn." _He chuckled slightly over the Com, enjoying his own private joke before continuing. _"Yeah, I'll see you at Landown."_

Another Gear joined the radio conversation. _"Yeah! It's go time baby!"_Marcus recognised his comrade's voice, Augustus Cole, over the Com link.

"Good hunting guys." Marcus flicked onto another frequency. "Control, this is Delta. We're on board Rig 314 and are heading out now."  
_  
"Rodger that Delta, you're good to go,"_Anya buzzed from the end of the line. Marcus turned to face his rather small squad comprising of only Dom and Carmine. A few other helmeted Gears were milling about with them but they belonged to other squads and were simply hitching a ride with Delta.

The mountains and forest tracks had become brutal. Rock and ice seemed to plot against the humans traversing through the countryside. Even the trees appeared treacherous; hiding their enemies under the cover of spruce. Twice, the rocky ledges had broken from the weight of the Rigs and threatened to drag a Derrick down. Even the pilots of the King Ravens were having trouble against the elements of nature. Winter winds whipped and whisked against the hulls of the birds, icing up windows and controls. Airhead, along with other pilots, had been getting worried about the temperature outside their cockpits. They did not want any instruments or even the guns to freeze up. Such temperatures and conditions had stolen many pilots from the skies above.

For nearly two hours, the trip was rather uneventful. Marcus soon found himself longing for a Reaver, a Locust, anything for a little distraction. He hated waiting for the action to come to them. Nothing was quite worse. It was like awaiting the blade of an executioner against your neck. He was used to an adrenaline induced rush pounding in his ears and the scream of gunfire, not a heavy and unsettled silence. The other soldiers were becoming increasingly restless; bickering between one another over rather petty subjects until Marcus waded in settled the arguments. Carmine had attempted to break out the journey by playing "I Spy" with a rather uninspired looking Dom.

"I spy with my little eye something that begins with 'R'" Carmine stated, dangling his feet off the side of the Derrick

"Rock," Dom answered with little enthusiasm.

"Wow, you're really good at this game."

"That's because Rocks and trees are the only things out there Carmine. Doesn't take a genius to work it out." Dom shot back, words sharp enough to cut.

Carmine turned away, clearly offended by Dom's harsh words.

"Geez, you don't have to be so mean about it. I was just trying to pass the time."

"I've been playing this stupid game for nearly two hours."

Marcus attempted to smooth over the atmosphere before Carmine introduced Dom to the end of his Scoped Rifle. "Dom. Carmine. Shut the fuck up."

His words were swift and brutal but closed the door on the argument before it got out of hand. Marcus did not particularly feel like wrestling Dom and Carmine out of a fist-fight. "Yes sir Sarge," the rookie stated before he stomped off to the opposite side of the Rig to lean on the banisters. Dom pulled a face in the helmeted Gear's general direction and turned his scowl back onto the landscape beyond. "Damn kid," he mumbled to himself. Marcus looked to Carmine. The rookie had his back to them both, clearly in a sulk.

He left them both to cool off in the winter air and looked back towards the lines of tanks and Rigs that were streaming out below.

"This is KR-Three Six. Commencing watch on Rigs. Meet you at Landown. Over and out."

A second King Raven skimmed overhead, barely touching the white mist. _"Rodger that Bishop. KR-Nine Five watching your back. How's things look down there Kat?"_

"Area is secure so far Silverfox, wait, scratch that! We have Locust Contact! I repeat! We have Locust contact!"

"Oh here we go!"

It was as if someone had breathed life back into the Rig. Dom and Carmine ducked for cover, lancers raised and ready. Marcus unclipped his own and slid into a crouch next to Delta squad. Overhead, Ravens braked and weaved to avoid the great hunks of sludge and rocks that streamed down as easily as rain. One Raven turned to avoid one Mortar but collided into another with a sickening crash. The helicopter exploded in a cloud of black cloud and fire, the metal remains bucketing down onto the centaur tanks below.

_"Our bird just got shellacked!"_Dizzy yelled over the hectic Com system. Marcus was sure he heard the frightened squeak of Anderson in the background.

Another two or three slimy rocket slammed into the granite cliff to the left of the Assault Derrick, weakening the already fragile formation. Marcus watched in horror as the rocky precipice crumbled down in front of them and smashed up a tank as easily as it would a tin can. The ruined Centaur slid right off the rocky road and fell ungracefully into the woodland tracks below. Several other tanks swerved to avoid it, unwilling to give the Locust another kill.

Rig 314 lurched to the side as another Mortar crashed into the right hand side of the Derrick.  
_  
"Don't let 'em cysts hit Betty! We'll be a bunch o' crispy fried hogs if we let them things get any closer,"_the ex-Stranded soldier shouted from the driver's seat. Delta's leader glanced around the Rig and noticed that the mounted turret was unoccupied. The squad leader shouldered his rifle and made a bold break for the chain gun. Dom covered him as he ran up the ramp and leapt onto the platform. Grasping the gun between gloved fingers, Marcus brought his firepower to bear on the incoming Mortars. Streams of bullets sailed from the turret, bursting incoming Mortars like balloons before they hit the Rig. Marcus pressed a pedal on the right hand side to cool the gun, "Come on, come on," Marcus growled as he emptied the vents of hot air before...

"Marcus! Reavers!" Dom shouted out in warning. Marcus pivoted the turret around again. Before he could even blink, a Reaver had emptied a full barrage of rockets into a Rig five hundred yards away. The said Derrick detonated like a mini-nuke and fell right off the cliff into the trees in a smouldering heap. A second Reaver sailed up beside Rig 314, fully intending to send Delta to a fiery death as well. Marcus let out a snarl and spun the turret around to unload bullets into the side of the eight legged freak.

Whilst Dom and Marcus distracted the Reaver, Carmine loaded his Longshot and aimed. Either Lady Luck was on his side or the rookie was just damn good for the gunner's head suddenly disappeared in a jet of crimson. The headless body toppled off the saddle, leaving the driver of the creature exposed. A burst of steel projectiles from Dom's Lancer soon had the Reaver without both a gunner and a driver. Wrapping up the kill, Marcus buried at least two hundred bullets into the side of the Reaver before it plummeted into the icy rocks below.

_"Nice work boys. That takes care of them," _Dizzy radioed in once the air was free of Mortars and Reavers. Marcus patted the turret fondly before releasing it and joining the rest of his squad.

"Everyone okay?"

Dom wiped his Lancer of Mortar muck with a grimace. "Yeah, I'm good. That was a little too close though."

Carmine was bent over slightly, hands braced against his legs as he struggled to breathe properly. "I think I'm okay Sarge."

"Dizzy, you and Anderson okay in there?" Marcus asked through his Tac/Com.

_"Yeah but I think the little lady nearly had a heart attack."_

"You alright Anderson?" he enquired.  
_  
"I think so Sir. That was very scary."_

Marcus couldn't help but smirk. "Stick around kid, it gets better."

His Tac/Com buzzed again.  
_  
"Delta, Tai here. I'm on the rear guard. We'll meet you at Landown." _

"Rodger that Tai, see you – " Marcus was cut off suddenly when the Rig beneath them suddenly lurched forward so quickly and suddenly that Carmine fell flat on his helmet-clad face. Had the situation been entirely different, Marcus would have roared with laughter. Both he and Dom leapt to grasp the railing to avoid a similar fate. Beneath their booted feet, the Assault Derrick groaned and vibrated violently enough to rattle out teeth. "Hang on up there boys," Dizzy shouted up. The Rig lurched violently again as if it had a mind of its own and was trying to buck its riders.

But Dizzy proved to have a firm enough grip on the reins. He ground the Derrick to a halt near the ruins of an old township then emerged from the cockpit with Anderson in tow – who was looking quite green. Smoke rose from the engine room of the machine in gasps of thick, black smoke. "Hold honey, I'm coming. Get my back while I patch Betty up will ya? Anderson, you know anything about mechanics?"

"I know some basics Sir."

"That will do. Give me a hand sweetie"

Marcus gestured forward to his soldiers while Dizzy and Anderson retreated into the engine room to attempt CPR on the machine. "You heard him Delta. Protect the Rig!"

_"Her name's Betty!"_Dizzy insisted from inside the machine.

Dom and Carmine slid into cover, loading their Lancers with exploding rounds. "E-hole Marcus!" Several metres in front of them, the earth suddenly gave way and crumpled inwards in a perfect circle. Imulsion fumes rose as did Locust Drones and Bolters. Marcus prepped a Frag grenade and hurtled it towards the small hole. The Frag missed its intended target but landed into the unsuspecting hands of an emerging Locust. It exploded and painted the gravel with a sticky, maroon paste.

_"On three now. One, two three. And push! Thatta girl, give 'em good kick now."_

Marcus ducked behind the mossy rocks just in time to avoid a volley of bullets. "Dizzy, how much longer in there?" he shouted out over the Com system.

_"Almost got it. Hang on."_

"Sarge! I'm running out of ammo!" Carmine cried across the gunfire as three Locusts moving toward to his position, fully intending to overwhelm the young Gear. Dom rolled in a manner that made a ballet dancing look clumsy and joined Carmine's side to push back the offending Locust.

"Dizzy!" Marcus yelled as a shell from his shotgun exploded shrapnel against the white chest of another Drone.

The Gears heard a triumphant whoop from their Tac/Com. _"She's done! Get on in!"_

Delta Squad did not need telling twice. They darted across the gravel as if it were hot coals and holstered themselves up the ladders in record speed. "Go Dizzy! Go!" Marcus shouted through the Tac/Com. Dizzy shifted the Rig into fifth gear and rolled on out into a rather charred and ash dusted field. Beneath the Rig, the ground suddenly rumbled as if the planet were in pain.  
_  
"Delta, Control here. I'm detecting some serious seismic activity beneath you,_" Anya buzzed into Marcus's ear.

Before Marcus could reply, he heard a bloodcurdling roar that sounded far too close for comfort.

A Brumak reared up from the beneath a great formation of rock, screaming at the machine. There were few sights more terrifying than a Brumak. They were hideous creatures, standing on two powerful hind legs and at least fifty feet tall. Long, yellowed jaws snapped and snarled at the air; just itching for a bite of the human Rigs. Chains and metal armoured adorned the creature's clawed digits, chest and shins. Worst than the sight of smell was the fact that the creature fired volleys of rockets and could reduce a tank to pulp with one step from its colossal feet. Over the gunfire, Marcus managed to yell out to Dizzy over his Tac/Com. "Get us out of here Dizzy!" The Ex-stranded pressed down on the accelerator and Betty slammed into the Brumak blocking their path. Betty was a big girl and easily shoved the Brumak to one side. The dinosaur-like creature snarled in the direction of the human machine, thick rivers of blood rolling down one arm.

"Marcus! Look over there! There's a hijacked Rig."

Sure enough, one of the human rigs had been completely overrun with Locust. White speckles covered the entire rig so thickly that it looked as if the Rig had been snowed upon. Marcus watched with disgust as the Drones threw human bodies overboard. They had no respect for the dead. Then the Locust boarded rig started move towards Rig 314. The two Assault Derricks clashed against one another, metal scraping against metal so loudly that Marcus's teeth hurt.

On the side of their rig, hooks begun to appear as Locust started leaping from the other Rig. The squad leader wasted no time. He darted to the banister just in time to drive his Lancer into the pallid flesh of a Locust Drone. The chainsaw ripped through the lily white hide of the Drone, tearing up tissue and mangling skin. The said drone had no time to react as Marcus cut right through his chest, lungs then severed the spine. Blood flew everywhere, coating the squad leader in thick, red rain. The beady eyes of the Locust looked straight at Marcus and caught the squad leaders smile before he was pushed right off the sides of the Rig; knocking another two of his kinsmen off their hooks. To the left of Marcus, Dom had given a Locust Drone an up-close and person demonstration of his Gnasher Shotgun.

The Rig lurched forward again, this time controlled as Dizzy put his foot to the floor. The other Rig broke away from Delta to do the same. A couple hundred yards away was a single bridge, big enough for only one Rig.

Marcus felt his heart stop inside his chest. "Delta! Take out the driver!"

Carmine was on it before Marcus could even take in another breath. Crouching out of the way of gunfire, the young Gear cocked his Longshot and popped up over the side of the Rig. Through the crystal blue scope of his rifle, Carmine got a perfect shot on the Locust Driver through the glass. One boom from his Longshot shattered the glass of the cockpit; a second shattered the skull of the Driver. The Locust occupied rig started to swerve right out and over the cliff. Delta's rig drove on down the bridge.

"Nice shot Carmine!" Dom congratulated, examining a graze on his arm from one of the Locust Drones.

Marcus nodded. Even he was extremely impressed. "That's some skill Rook. Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

The younger Gear scratched the exposed nape of his neck, clearly embarrassed. "Thanks Sarge. I got lucky I guess."

"Well, keep it up. We'll some more of shots when we get to Landown."

"I'll try Sir," he stated, bobbling his helmeted head.

Marcus gave his Tac/Com a tap. "Dizzy, Anderson. You two okay in there?"  
_  
"Yep, I'm good Fenix."_Betty's horn honked again.

_"I think I'm gonna be sick,"_came the response of Anderson.

_"Awh no, you anit gonna be sick on Betty. Out the window girl!"_

Marcus sighed. Leave it to Anderson to make matters worse. "Well, Rest up while you can. We're almost at Landown." Landown had just winked onto the horizon, a metropolis of broken buildings and charred remains that had been under Locust control for far too long. He flicked onto another radio frequency. "Control, Delta. Landown is in sight."  
_  
"Rodger that Delta. Determining Launch co-ordinates now. Hang tight Marcus. Control out."_

When the Rig rolled into another seemingly empty clearing, another roar from the left of the Rig chilled Delta right down to the very bone. Another Brumak emerged from the tree lines, roaring and shrieking fit to bust. A dry, blood crusted arm indicated that it was the same Brumak that had attacked them previously. Dom, being the closet, lurched to man the turret. Marcus rolled and raided the last remaining ammo box. He halved the Lancer ammo with Carmine, took the grenades and left the Longshot ammo to the younger Gear.

Meanwhile, Betty had slammed against a Brumak for the second time in less than an hour. Marcus heard a crunch of bone snapping, coupled with another almighty bellow. Dom opened fire on the Brumak, hoping to slow it down until the King Ravens had shown up. Four rockets sailed on past the Rig, exploding against the rock hard skin of the Brumak. Delta squad looked to the sky.

Two King Ravens hovered above them, their guns bared.

Marcus was glad that the helicopters were on their side. _"Delta, this is KR-Nine five. Get on over to Landown, we'll cover you."_

"Thanks Silverfox. Meet you at Landown."

Anya appeared on the line again, bringing a wash of relief to the squad leader. _"Delta, Control here. You want to head to the center of town once you get to Landown. That's your best place to drill."_

"Wilco Control. Delta out."

Dizzy continued to let Betty stormed on ahead while the King Ravens distracted the Brumak with volleys of missiles. Soon, the sky was raining with Brumak bits; coating the human Rigs with all manner of organic goo. Dom let out a groan and dabbed a globule of Brumak that had landed right on top of his head. "I hate my job sometimes. I should've been an accountant after all."

"Yeah? Me too Dom."

* * *

It was not long Ragnarok came to see Maria again. It was early morning, judging from the patterns and shift rotations of the Locust guards. Maria, of course, had been up for quite some time and had begun the day's work of digging for Carbon composites along with every other captive in her camp. The dark haired woman had not even noticed Ragnarok approach her until he was standing right next to her. She recognised him by the tattoo details on his skin. Nearly every Locust had a tattoo of a sort and she had learned from another captive that the tattoos and marks upon each Locust indicated family clans and status. The more intricate the tattoos, the higher the rank.

Ragnarok had many tightly knitted, inky tattoos across his arms and back. Did that mean something? Was he of a higher rank that most Locust? In her skirt pocket, his canteen was fitted snugly between the denim. She had finished her water during the night and was intending to give the canteen back. She wanted as little interaction with him as possible

However, Ragnarok did not seem to be interested in the water canteen even when Maria had taken it out to show him. The Locust Drone motioned for her to sit down on a rock, out of the prying eyes of the other captives and jailors. Maria sat down on the boulder and smoothed her frayed skirt out gently. The Locust Drone dropped down onto the dirt and started to unbuckle her broken sandals.

"No, no, please. I need shoes," Maria explained, panicking slightly. She was not even sure his English vocabulary extensive enough for him to understand her words. The grey creature looked up at her then held up a pair of boots that she had not noticed he had been carrying. They were small - small enough to fit her feet at least – and looked of human design. She tried hard not to think about who they might have previously belong to. Dead humans had no need for shoes she supposed.

Seconds later, the Locust had removed her battered sandals completely. Maria could see why. They were not much use to anymore. Ragnarok tossed them aside then slid the boots onto the Maria's sore and bruised toes. Ragnarok even laced them for her, tightening here and loosening there. He made a motion for her to stand and, immediately, she felt the difference. The gravel crunched beneath her newly booted feet and no longer made her wobble while she walked. They were steel plated, sturdy, cosy and stopped halfway up her calves.

"Thank you Ragnarok. These will help," she stated, admiring her boot clad feet.

"You are welcome," he hissed. The drone motioned then for her to return to work and departed the scene. With her new boots, she felt that little bit stronger and less exposed. Maria tried not to think about whom they had come from for they were most likely dead. The other captives looked at her with curiosity and envy. The Locust guards looked at her with amusement. The dark haired Santiago pretended not to notice, found her pick-axe and begun chipping away at the hard ground. Her mind was completely swimming with questions, each one without an answer.

When a second Drone approached suddenly, Maria did not feel nearly as exposed as before. She lowered her pick-axe and met the yellowed eyed stare of the Locust known to most as Kam'marok which apparently meant "Field of bloody snow." Maria tried hard not to think about how he got his name.

"Ragnarok likes Munnnaki," he hissed through chipped teeth.

Maria looked at him squarely in the eyes, somehow feeling no fear. "It would seem so."

"Munnnaki would be wise to trust not Ragnarok."

"Why?"

The Drone jerked his head slightly as if she had just slapped him. Maria was not surprised. Humans were not permitted to question to their Locust captors.

Ever.

"Because Ragnarok is traitor to Locust."

"How is he a traitor?"

Kam'marok looked as if he wanted to hit her but held himself back."Because at times, my foolish brother wishes he were human." Kam'marok practically spat out the word "human" as if it were a disgusting swear word. He then turned on his booted heel and left Maria alone with his dark, cryptic statement.

* * *

**Crumbs. Look at that. Another update. I wish I could update my Fallout story like this.**

**Important notes:**

**Unlike most fanfictions, I'm probably going to be a rebel and swing towards a Carmine/OC pairing. CARMINE NEEDS LOVE TOO! I really want to go for a cute, uncomplicated romance amongst all this darkness and despair  
**

**Also, I deliberatelydidn't describe Carmine's face since I'm sure every reader has their own image of what he looks like under that helmet.**

**For the Locust names and tribes, I'm going to swing towards Norse mythology. I really adore all the names from the Norse gods so I'm going to be using them quite a lot for the Locust. Something about it just feels right.  
**

**Thanks for reading,**  
**Fire out.**


	3. III: A Light in the Dark

**Omg! Thanks so much for the reviews. 13 of them! All lovely! Cyber hugs all around! Thanks very much to the following: Jord, Scorpling-No-Okami, Cherry Cheesecake, ExcusingTheSlightAnachronism, The Sixth, Alexa0537 and mrhellsingfan. Kudos to you all!**

**While you're here, I suggest you check out these other GoW fanfictions. They are all awesome in their own right: "Edge of Defense"by Auron-Kae, "Gears of War: Consequences" by The WolvGambit, "Drive my Heart" by DamonxBairdx, "Phalanx" by necaberint and "A Grievous Redemption" by the lovely Jord!**

**Please note that this is my last update until I return to the UK on the 22nd. See you on the other side.**

******Thank you Judge Magister Fermus for all your input over the years. Without you, Jennifer would still be sitting in draft hell. Forever grateful bro.**

* * *

**Gears of War 2: **Crimson Cross

**Chapter Three: **A Light In the Dark

"**On the ground I lay motionless in pain  
I can see my life flashing before my eyes  
Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream  
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare"  
-Three Days Grace, **Time of Dying

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **CP-D.B.345-010-170-666  
**Current Time:** 12:20  
**Current Location: **ten miles east of Landown

It had been an uneventful and slow morning for Corporal Damon Baird. His Rig, fondly named Marilyn, had ploughed through whatever had attempted to stop their assault. Not that much had bothered his squad. They had taken a forest track through the trees and avoided most of the intense fun and action. A Reaver had floated down once or twice but his squad swiftly sent it back to the Locust in pieces. Blue eyes rimmed with green swivelled onto Sigma One squad – his very own squad – and Baird could not suppress a smile. Though he had a sneaky suspicion that his recent promotion to squad leader of Sigma One had something to do with Marcus, he was more than pleased to finally be in command of his own squad. Again. Hell, even Cole had been given an offer but turned it down and Baird had heard through the Great Grape Vine that Dom was also offered a leadership role. Baird was not the least bit surprised when Dom refused, opting to stick with Delta. Dom and Marcus were as close as brothers and it would have taken more than a shiny new promotion prise Dom away from Delta.

Baird turned his stare away from the thick tree line and focused on his squad. He had been given command of a fairly varied group of COG soldiers, each with their own versatile skill. Private Kenneth Tanner was their heavy hitter; able to handle large guns such as Mulchers without batting an eyelid. Corporal Tom Maxwell was their long ranged marksman with five years worth of experience under his belt. There was not much that he could not reattach plus he was quite handy with a Gnasher Shotgun and finally Private Sharon Sinclair, once a company heiress-turned-soldier and a complete pain in the ass. Had she not been adequate with the Lancer, Baird might have been tempted to boot her right out of his squad.

There was only room for one smartass in his squad and the position had already been filled.

The blonde pulled a face. Still, he would much rather have Sinclair to Cannon Fodder Anderson any day. At least she could shoot in a straight line.

Baird felt someone thump his back then a hot coffee cup found a home in his unsuspecting hand. He was grateful for the gesture as Baird desperately needed his fix for caffeine. As a machine needed oil, Baird needed coffee.

"Thanks Cole."

Augustus Cole joined his side, swirling his own cup about to mix the sugar. The Rig had a supply box with everything needed for a few hot beverages but was there a spoon, certainly not.

Baird eyed his companion slightly before taking a sip of his drink. The blonde had once considered himself to be quite tall and strapping but Cole made him look and feel like a midget. The former Thrashball player stood at nearly six foot four, taller than even Marcus and had practically weighed twice his own body mass in muscle alone. Unlike many other soldiers, Augustus Cole wore very little in the way of armour and left his arms exposed. "Baird, what's up with that face baby?"

"Does that really need an answer?" Baird responded, not bothering to bite back his bitterness. After all, Cole would have expected nothing less.

The taller man's grin swiftly disappeared. "You pissed about that Anderson girl in Delta?"

Baird scowled – something he did best apart from killing and fixing things. "Well yeah. Marcus couldn't have picked a worse medic even if he had tried. I always figured he was soft in the head but I didn't think it was that bad."

"Yo! You said that Marcus couldn't send her back 'cos it was too late."

"Anya probably could have pulled some strings somewhere, got him a transfer."

Cole rolled his dark, armour-free shoulders.

"Don't know that for sure man."

"Yeah, I do actually. If Marcus asked, Anya would have probably moved heaven and Sera to get him another one," Baird snapped back. It was no secret that Delta's leader and the Controls Operator were rather...attached one another to say the least.

The frown on Cole's face deepened until he wore a look of deep confusion. It was not an expression that Baird was accustomed to seeing on his companion's face and it did not suit him in the slightest. Something was seriously wrong when Augustus Cole was not grinning or cracking a joke. "Why yo' mad about this anyway?"

The blonde bristled. "I just don't want to see Marcus and Dom on the bottom of a Locust's boot if Anderson messes up. Which I know she will."

"Relax Damon baby, Marcus and Dom can handle any crap that comes their way."

Baird narrowed his eyes until they were nothing but icy teal chips. Clearly, he did not think that Delta could handle any "crap" that came their way. He turned back towards the ruined city that was Landown. Cole leaned on the banister next to the stroppy soldier. The metal groaned in protest and Baird was half surprised that the entire banister had not given way under the strain. "Anderson is pretty cute though man," the private remarked in typical Cole fashion.

The blonde rolled his eyes at his companion's behaviour. "Anderson is a spineless, gutless little runt. There's nothing remotely 'cute' about that," Baird said with a snort.

"So ya not tempted even a little? Come on, be honest with the Cole Train."

"Maybe when hell freezes over perhaps."

"Then why yo' ridin' her ass all the time if you don't dig her?"

Baird's eyebrow twitched, indicating that the blonde was inches away from embarking on a verbal rampage. Jennifer Anderson was quite possibly the last female Baird wanted to be associated with. His loathing towards her was quite irrational really. She was polite and never rude to him but Baird found that she irritated him due her utter lack of fire and self esteem. The girl was like a sponge; she soaked up every ounce of knowledge as easily as water and remembered it for life. Never did she have to cram or pour over information for hours before it sunk in. One glance at a page and she would still recall it weeks later. Baird had seen her theory scores when he hacked into the COG databases. Despite her obvious intelligence, she had no respect for herself and it pissed Baird off more than he cared to admit.

Wasted talent if he ever did see it.

Baird returned from his musings to the matter at hand, determined to wipe the grin right off his companion's face. "Hey, I can be a dick to people I don't wanna fuck. I am just that good."

"Whatever gets ya sleepin' at night man."

He snorted again at the very thought. "If you don't mind, I've got a job to do. And so do you remember? So keep your damn mind out of the gutter," Baird snapped back, successfully squashing the conversation. There was a time and place for such conversations and during the Hollow Storm operation on top of an Assault Derrick was not one of them.

Cole let out a bark of laughter and slapped his companion on the back, nearly sending the blonde and his coffee cup over the railing. "Man Baird, you are too easy."

Had Baird been a bird, his feathers would have been ruffled beyond repair.

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 12:35  
**Current Location:**Landown

Even though the thermal heating of his armour, Marcus still felt cold pinch of Landown. His ears were cold and he suddenly found himself wishing for a helmet after all. Beside him, Dom had his hands braced against his exposed biceps and muttering bitterly about the weather. Carmine – though shivering – had a thick black scarf wrapped around his bare neck that his Ma had knitted for him, making the rook the warmest person on the deck. Just to add insult to injury, Dizzy and Anderson had radioed up that they were quite warm and toasty inside the Rig's cockpit and did not hesitate to tell Delta so. Marcus grumbled incoherently at them and tried to pretend that he was not the least bit bothered by the sudden drop in temperature.

The goosebumps that rose up on his skin underneath his armour suggested otherwise.

The roads and paths leading into Landown had become increasingly treacherous and steep. Overhead, thick dark clouds threatened to dump their load on the unfortunate Gears. Already solid snow blanketed the ground beneath the Rig's giant tires, camouflaging several layers of frozen ice. More black ice lay on the cracked footpaths in waiting to slip up passersby, rubble of cars had frozen solid, ice crusted around the bases of streetlamps and even the air itself seemed to have developed a taste for human flesh; nipping furiously at any exposed skin. Marcus looked around the Rig and grimaced at the mess. The Rig had smashed through a Drone infested blockage, the remains evident on the deck of the Assault Derrick. Even a stray arm had been lodged in the Rig's bull bars somewhere along the track.

When Rig 314 crossed the threshold of Landown, Delta could not help but feel a swell of victory. They were one step closer to completing their mission.

However, their triumph was rather short lived.

Out of the rubble and shadows, tiny bug-like creatures scuttled from the darkness towards the human Rigs. They moved with such motive and precision that Marcus was sure that they had been lying in wait for the unsuspecting humans. The Tickers scurried underneath the Rig thirty metres behind Delta's own Assault Derrick and detonated under the complex machinery. The tiny explosions tossed the five hundred ton Rig nearly ten metres up from the ground before it erupted in flames.

"Marcus! Wasn't that Tai's Rig?" Dom shouted.

Marcus said nothing and gripped the banisters tightly, teeth clenched together so tightly it was as if they were wired shut. Carmine looked on, fearful for an answer.

Then, by some small miracle, the smouldering rubble started to stir. Three Lancers trained on the shuddering wreckage, ready to fire at any Tickers that had not detonated. A great hunk of metal was thrown to the air and the tattooed Gear that they all knew and respected walked out of the flaming remains; blinking and dusting off his armour as if nothing had happened. "Hell Marcus, is that Tai?" Dom asked, hardly willing to believe his eyes.

"Yeah. Told you he was tough to kill. Come on, let's get down there."

The heavy soldiers dropped down the ladder one by one, grateful to have their feet on solid ground for the first time in three hours.

When they approached, the tattooed Gear pressed his forehead against his shotgun and bowed his semi-shaven head respectfully at the squad leader. "Fate has known us together again huh Marcus?"

"Looks that way. Welcome back to Delta Tai," He paused a moment then nodded regretfully towards the pile of twisted, smoking metal that had once been an Assault Derrick. "Sorry about your squad."

Tai held his hands out, palms facing the sky. "Everything happens for a reason," he stated, eyes warm with faith. Marcus raised an eyebrow but was unwilling to oppose the tattooed warrior's beliefs. If it was what carried him in battle, Marcus was more than willing to hold his tongue. Like any decent, self respecting leader, Marcus's blue eyed vision gave the tattoo decorated soldier the once over. He spotted several, painful looking burns on both arms that certainly required medical attention. "You want to get those checked?" he nodded towards the weeping scorch marks.

"You got a medic handy Delta?"

"Yeah, we do."

"She's a bit green though," Dom quickly added.

Marcus turned and gave his Tac/Com a jab. "Anderson. We need you down here. Got some burns for you to look at."

"I'll be right down Sergeant."

"What the hell happened to Lola?" Dizzy demanded in the background.

Tai quickly flicked onto Dizzy's radio frequency. "My Rig? We hit some mines. Tickers I think. The whole area is infested."

The battered door of the Rig cockpit was kicked open suddenly and a rather green looking Anderson peered out at the COG soldiers, a medical first-aid kit clutched in one gloved hand. She looked hesitantly at the distance between the icy ground and the Assault Derrick. Even from his position on the ground, Marcus saw the medic bite her lip.

So, he gave her a much needed verbal "nudge" in the right direction. "Move it Anderson!"

It seemed to do the trick. "Yes Sergeant Fenix!" she responded and jumped onto the ladder rather clumsily, knocking her glasses askew. Dom and Carmine watched on with some amusement. Leave it to Anderson to unwittingly lighten the mood. Tai however looked to Marcus; his scepticism written across his face. Delta's leader could hardly blame him. "Marcus my friend, are you certain that she is a medic?" he asked, a thick eyebrow raised slightly.

"Sometimes I wonder," Marcus stated with a deepening frown.

Once on the ground, the raven haired woman adjusted her frames and trotted over with her medical-kit. With her five-inch-thick glasses and her five foot stature, it was virtually impossible to take the young woman seriously. She put Marcus in mind of a kid sister trying to play with her big brothers.

"Tai, this is Jennifer Anderson. She's our medic for the Hollow Assault. Anderson, this is Tai Kaliso. He's probably one of the best shots in the entire army so make sure you fix him up properly." Anderson nodded, completely transfixed at the very sight of the tattooed Gear. Her mouth was agape slightly, her navy blue eyes crawled upwards rather slowly; tracing the lines and patterns of Tai's intricate tattoo and her face was alight with awe. It was hardly surprising. Many other female Gears had that exact same reaction. Tai was a walking piece of art. At the back of the group, Carmine's shoulders tensed and he straightened up slightly; watching Tai rather closely indeed. Dom noticed and caught Marcus's eye. The squad leader could have laughed but thought better of it.

He was half surprised that Carmine's visor had not turned green.

"An Anderson you say?"

She nodded her prickly haired head. "Yes Sir."

"I must say that it is a privilege to meet you Jennifer, sister to William. I was acquainted with your brother before his death. I'm sure sure he brings honour to your family." Tai nodded, very much aware of how intensely fascinated Anderson was with his markings.

And just like that, Anderson's entire facial expression changed as if he had said something insulting. Her body language visibly shifted and the look of admiration and wonderment was wiped clean from her face like a chalkboard. Instead, a sad and almost disappointed expression dominated her doll-like features. "Yes, he does," she answered with neither warm not frost in her words.

Sensing a tense moment, Marcus gave the young woman another verbal prod. "Are you going to treat him Anderson or stare at him all day?"

"Yes. Sorry Sergeant."

He turned to Dom and Carmine. "Secure the area Delta. We don't want the Locust sneaking up on us with our pants down." His soldier's fanned out ten metres, securing the perimeter around the Rig wreckage. Anderson meanwhile, motioned for Tai to sit down on. The soldier complied and crouched down in the hardened snow. Anderson slid down in the snow next to him and snapped open her med-kit. Marcus studied her every move like a hawk and she was certainly aware of his stare for her hands trembled slightly. However, the private kept her cool and continued treating Tai; coating his burn wounds with a lime coloured gel that looked as if it belonged in someone's nose. "After fifteen minutes, those burns should be gone," Anderson said with a tiny smile.

"Fifteen minutes?" Tai looked at the slick mess covered most of his tattoos with uncertainty. "Are you certain?"

The raven haired woman nodded, confident in her knowledge. "Yes, Coolant Gel doesn't take very long to heal broken skin. It's very similar to the Bio-foam that we use for bullet wounds."

Once the squad leader was satisfied that Anderson knew what she was doing, he joined Dom at the right wing of the perimeter.

"Hey Marcus, did you see that?"

"See what?" His Lancer was raised in caution.

Dom looked back towards the pair of soldiers in the snow. "Well, when Tai mentioned Anderson's brother, did you see her face?"

The do-rag clad man simply stared blankly at his friend. "And?" he asked. Marcus was in no mood to play twenty questions.

"She seemed pretty upset that Tai only associated her with brother. I mean, William was really talented. There was a hell of a lot that he couldn't do. Then his sister turns out like this. Seems to me like Anderson has been overshadowed by her brother for most of her life. More so now that he's dead."

Marcus nodded. It made enough sense and seemed to tally in with what they had already seen and heard. Dom should have become a shrink instead of a commando. "Come to think of it, I never remembered Commander Anderson ever mentioning he had a daughter. I only ever heard of him speak of his son. Rather loudly I might add," Marcus remarked.

Dom looked back towards Tai and Anderson crouched down in the snow. "Poor kid. I feel sorry for her."

Marcus gave a heavy sigh of disgruntlement and frowned at his friend. He often wondered if Dom ever got tired playing the "nice guy." Judging from the expression on the Latino's face, Marcus guessed not. "Look, maybe this Hollow operation might give her some confidence."

"If she doesn't get shot first."

"There's more of a chance that Anderson will get herself hurt before the Locust get to her." Though more like a one hundred and ten percent chance thought Marcus to himself. A small chiming sound behind the squad leader alerted Marcus to the presence of Jack. The robot was hovering in mid-air beside him, awaiting his complete and utter attention. "Got something for me Jack?" The small robot let out an electronic click and jerked his tiny titanium hands up in the air. The small screen unfolded from his body as easily as a piece of paper. A live video feed of Anya appeared on the thin screen. _"Delta, we've estimated that the monument in the center of town is the best spot to drill."_

"Wilco Control, Delta out." When Jack's paper-thin screen folded up again, Marcus flicked onto Dizzy's radio frequency. "You heard her Dizzy, we'll walk you there. Everyone, let's move out." Carmine and Tai joined his side and surprisingly, Anderson was with them. She had ditched the plastic white case and jammed all her medical equipment into her empty pockets. A snake of surgical tubing looped out of one of her pockets.

Marcus frowned at her. "You not riding in the Rig?"

She shook her head. "No Sergeant. I get motion sickness sometimes." Anderson then looked down quickly as if she were afraid of the reactions that her word would create in others. The squad leader sighed and motioned for the girl to follow.

"Alright, stick with us but watch it. We don't know what's out here." He strolled over to a bolted door that had once been a Bar. The rest of the group followed him slowly; first Dom with his Lancer loaded followed by Anderson sandwiched between Carmine and Tai with Jack bringing up the rear; looking inquisitively at their surroundings.

Marcus gave the door a good, solid kick. Then another. The door did not budge an inch. Marcus glared as if his will alone would open it. "Hurry up Marcus while we're still young," Dom remarked. Perhaps Dom had been spending too much time with Baird. The squad leader frowned and gave the door another hearty kick. The door caved in with a groan and swung open for the squad. "Finally," Dom remarked.

Marcus was tempted to slam the door in his companion's face just to teach him a lesson.

But he didn't and Delta crept into a saloon that had once been the height of fashion. Marcus looked around and felt his jaw tighten. The smoky scent of charred wood still lingered overhead. He remembered "Valhalla" well. After all, he had spent a few evenings there in his younger days. That was before the Locust gallivanted in and reduced his favourite bar to rather sad collection of rubble and charred foundation.

Dom had vaulted over the counter to scavenge for ammo and heaved a heavy blue container onto the scorched tabletop. He threw Marcus two clips of Lancer rounds, a few Longshots went to Carmine while Tai took the shotgun slugs. While the soldiers loaded up their weapons again, none of them noticed Anderson creep on out into the storage room; her curiosity aroused. Obviously, Anderson was the only one that had not heard the story of Curiosity.

Without fail, a high pitched squeal sounded off inside the walls of the old bar. Anderson came running back to the group and hid behind a rather bewildered Carmine. Delta collectively raised their weapons in apprehension. From the expression on her face, it looked as if she had seen a Corpser.

"What did you see Anderson?" Marcus asked as Tai moved forward to scout of the room ahead of them.

"A Ticker I think. I thought it was going to eat my toes," she squeaked.

A frown found Marcus's features. _Remember Marcus, she's not a combat soldier_. _She's not trained for this kinda crap_he told himself to stop the rising urge to bite off the medic's pretty little head. If Anderson got so frightened of Tickers, a Locust Drone would probably send her into cardiac rest. "Oh yeah? Well it's about to eat boot. C'mon Delta. Let's go." One by one, they made their way down the corridor with Marcus leader. Landown was suspiciously quiet even thought Delta had practically rung the front doorbell by smashing through blockage. The silence weighed in Marcus's gut like a lump of lead. He did not like waiting for the Locust to come to them, he preferred to go to the Locust.

In the narrow corridor ahead, a small Bug-like creature that looked as if it were wearing a backpack scuttled into view. Both Anderson and Carmine jumped at the mere sight of it. However, it dashed back into the shadows before Marcus could take a pot shot. The squad leader guessed that it had not seen them. "Is that what you saw Anderson?" Carmine asked through the confines of his helmet.

"Yeah, that's it. They are so much bigger than in the books."

"What the hell are they doing here anyway?"

"Locust use them like landmines. Better keep your distance," Tai explained, keeping his shotgun raised.  
_  
"I'm tellin' ya. You gotta clear the way before Betty can come on through. Tickers are ugly, and Betty don't like ugly,"_Dizzy stated over the Tac/Com.

"Are there more of them?" Anderson asked, hesitant about moving forward. Marcus could hardly blame her. A lot had happened to the little medic in one day.

"Probably," answered Dom, not one to beat around the bush over such matters.

"What do we do if we step on one?"

Marcus lowered his Lancer. "Well kid, usual procedure is to jump up in the air and scatter yourself over a wide area."

His joke did nothing to quell the fears of the Medic for her large navy eyes widened with fear. Carmine chose that moment gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Don't worry Anderson. I've got your back." He gave his Lancer a loud rev for good measure. A splash of relief landed on Anderson's anxious face and she nodded firmly. Without any further hesitation, the young woman moved forward with Delta through the ruins of the bar and out into a courtyard of crunched and crumbled cars.

_Click click click._

The squad leader's gut clenched.

"Tickers! Scramble!"

Delta darted out in every direction just as the army of Tickers scuttled from the wreckage. Anderson squealed – forgetting that she had a Lancer - and ran to jump onto a pile of cars that had been stacked upon each other, three Tickers scurrying eagerly after her. Tai had the right idea by whipping out his Shotgun and firing at the scuttling creatures with a deadly accuracy that not even Marcus could have reproduced. Tickers exploded left, right and center and covered the soldiers with their remains. Marcus shouldered his Lancer and reached for the Shotgun, growling low in his throat. He was afraid to stay stationary for too long as they could come from any direction. It was not on his daily agenda to lose a leg to a Ticker. Carmine, to save ammo, took to simply kicking the Tickers like he would a football. Reckless, but effective.

Soon, the air was thick with flying Tickers taking to the sky as a Raven would

"I used to feel sorry for them you know. They are virtually suicide bombers if you think about it," Dom remarked, using his Shotgun to bash the scuttling insects away.

"Yeah, but they're just too stupid to know any better," Marcus answered before taking a leaf out of Carmine's book and booting a Ticker through the gap of two cars. It exploded two seconds later and took another three Tickers with it.

"Nice goal Sarge," Carmine shouted over the gunfire.

Once the Tickers had all been dealt with, Marcus counted heads. Tai, Dom and Carmine were all alive and well but the small woman eluded him. After a little searching through the wreckage, Delta found her perched upon a barricade of old cars; looking terrified to say the least. Much to Marcus's great surprise, the woman had her Shotgun out and at least had it round the right away. He had envisioned Anderson to be the type of soldier who used a weapon backwards.

Maybe there was some hope for her after all.

"You okay Anderson?" Carmine asked the trembling medic as he held out a gloved hand to help her down. She pushed her glasses up her nose before taking his out stretched hand and jumping to the ground. "I think so...Those Tickers chased me up here but then, they ran away when they saw my Shotgun."

Perhaps not.

"So you didn't have to shoot anything?" Marcus asked.

"No Sergeant. I think it is safer for everyone else if I don't."

"Good point. Let's move out Delta." Marcus turned and gave his Tac/Com a small tap. "Dizzy, all clear in here."

_"No more Tickers! Betty's a happy lady!"_A few seconds later, the air itself seemed to rumble as the Assault Derrick rolled on through Landown; her huge tires reducing the rubble and ruins of Landown into nothing but metal pancakes. After Betty had stormed on through, a few other Rigs along with some centaur Tanks followed in her wake. Overhead, several surviving King Ravens circled Landown awaiting orders.

They were a welcoming sight indeed.

_"Shit, what a dump Landown is now,"_Airhead radioed in overhead.

Marcus stared out at the human armada and felt a swell of hope. Maybe they had a fighting chance after all.

Jack floated down next to Delta and unfolded his small screen. Anya peered back at them, looking extremely drained and tired if the bags under her brown eyes were an indication. Marcus's gut tightened slightly in concern. Anya did not wear fatigue well. _"Delta, Airhead is reporting Nemesyst occupying your local airspace. Can you confirm?_" Despite looking as if she could do with sleeping twelve winters, Anya's voice still possessed that composure and calmness that Delta depended on.

The squad leader looked to the skies above then back to the floating robot. "Nothing yet but we'll keep an eye out. Delta Out." He made a motion to his soldiers. "Let's go Delta." Like a litter of obedient little puppies, the squad followed on behind Marcus through wild gardens and over broken fences. Carmine had joked it was like being a teenager again; breaking and entering people's property just for giggles.

"I remember when they took Landown during the Winter of Sorrow. It was a bad omen," Tai stated, looking at the human forces that seemed to spill like a great tidal wave into Landown.

"Crazy to think that somewhere this close to Landown was under Locust control for so long. You'd think that we would have launched this assault years ago," said Dom.

"I'm sure the COG had their reasons. Probably just weren't very good ones," Marcus answered. He knew why the COG had not launched the assault earlier. It was all too obvious. Previously, they had always clung to some manner of hope that they could somehow turn the tide on the Locust; to kick them right back down to the depths of hell where they belonged and keep them there. The humans of Sera had nothing else to lose but an all-out assault. Unless the Hallow Storm operation was successful, humanity would be nothing but a bloody ink stain on the vast scroll of history.

Somewhere between Marcus's musings, Jack lit up again and Anya radioed through to Delta squad as they were approaching an old fuel station. In the misty grey skies overhead, Marcus could make out the small, jellyfish-like structures that were Nemesysts floating gracefully above Landown. No matter what angle Marcus looked at them, they always put him in mind of balloons. _"Delta, clear out all Nemesyst activity. We have more Ravens inbound and the birds need some airspace."_A few seconds later, the kamikaze Mortars rained down from the sky. Delta collectively ducked, sliding into position. Anderson and Tai hid behind one set of sandbags, Carmine and Marcus covering their blindside with Dom in the center formation of sandbags.

Marcus unclipped his Lancer and loaded a fresh round into his trusted friend. He prayed to whatever god was listening that she would not jam up today. "Wilco. You heard her Delta, fire at will."

Never could another squad leader have a group of soldiers quite like Delta under their command. Marcus's squad were on the same wave length as he and had taken position near a few clumps of sandbags one hundred yards away from an old Imulsion station. At least twenty Locust, including a Troika operator, were milling around the fuel station and taking up similar positions. A cluster of white skinned soldiers were crouched behind battered Imulsion tanks.

An idea struck Marcus harder than a bullet "Rook, can you puncture those fuel tanks?" he hissed at the younger Gear.

"If Dom and Tai can keep me covered, I think I can."

"You heard him guys, keep Carmine covered while he punctures those fuel tanks." Dom and Tai responded with the pounding of their Lancers, streams of steel drawing the Locust attention away from the youngest Gear. Carmine waited as long as possible before popping his helmeted head up from the barricade, peering through the mounted scope of his Longshot. Marcus reloaded his Lancer and lay down some extra support, anything to give Carmine those precious extra seconds. Marcus heard the click of Carmine's trigger then felt the explosion running through the earth beneath them. The fuel station erupted into a vast hellhole of fire, all from one single bullet.

Unfortunately, a second Turret operator turned and bared his gun upon them. The thick black smoke caught by the wind hid the Troika operator from view and not even Carmine could get a decent visual on the Locust. Worse still, the Locust operator knew exactly where Delta were positioned and raised down a hailstorm of vengeful steel; effectively pinning down Delta entirely.

Marcus growled and shoved Carmine's head down then gave his Tac/Com a stab. "Control, Delta here. We're still under heavy fire from our left flank."

To the left of Delta, more human reinforcement rolled into the battlefield in the form of a centaur tank. The lone operator stood no chance as the tank opened fire upon him, bullets shredding and puncturing both skin and metal. The turret exploded in a puff of flame, the remains of the Locust gunner fell off the building and onto the ground. Seconds later, Assault Derrick D28 rolled leisurely – if that were even possible for an inanimate object.

Cole radioed through the hectic Tac/Com. _"Come on Delta, show some love."_

Delta's leader smiled slightly; glad to have Augustus Cole on the other line. Even though he not officially a member of Delta squad anymore, he was still important them regardless. Occasionally, the same thing could be said about Baird when he was not being Corporal Pessimist. Marcus's soldiers regrouped cautiously and the squad leader was thrilled to see that they had come out of the little skirmish virtually unharmed. Anderson was the only one who looked shaken and Marcus was not the least bit surprised. She stood up, only for her trembling legs to buckle. The ever polite, ever helpful Carmine reached a hand out and steadied her firmly.

A deep rumbling overhead indicated that a flock of Ravens had finally been able to fly into Landown's aerospace with fear of being struck down by any Nemesyst.  
_  
"This will be a great spot for my summer getaway. Now fill in all these holes Delta and relocate the riffraff. Control, Delta is clear," _Airhead fed through the Com system, his heavy commonwealth accent crackling through the radio.

_"Rodger that Airhead, Rigs need CAP near Barrington square. Over."_

_"Copy that Control. Later Delta."_

"Yeah, thanks for nothing Airhead. Let's go moving Delta. See you on the other side Cole."

His Tac/Com buzzed away like a bee against his ear. "You know it baby," came Cole's reply.

The squad continued deeper into the ruins of Landown and it only seemed to get worse and worse. There was nowhere to look without seeing the violent horrors of the Human-Locust War. Great spires of shattered rock, steel and cement stretched towards the sky like a kind of twisted forest. Houses that had once been the height of fashion looked as if someone had sat on them and nearly every inch of wood had been scorched until it blackened. Anderson had commented that it like a ghost down and Delta collectively drew closer together, feeling safety in numbers.

Marcus gave his radio a prod. "Control, how much further until the drill zone?" Even the squad leader was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in Landown. He could not shake the sensation that someone – or rather something - was waiting his every move. _"Close, just through the tunnel ahead." _Marcus looked up and noticed that they were fast approaching an old road tunnel. He was not entirely looking forward to the prospect of stumbling through the darkness and hoping for the best but he could not see any other way around it._ "Remember you Grindlifts are calibrated to dig from the exact location of the town central monument. You're going to have to back in the trucks to get them properly aligned,"_Anya added in over the Com system.

"You heard her guys. Let's get moving."

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 12:56  
**Current Location:**Landown

"You heard her guys. Let's get moving."

Jennifer looked on ahead into the gaping passageway and gulped loudly. She did not want to go into the road tunnel. The shadows were sure to swallow her whole. Jennifer was clumsy enough in the daylight but in the darkness, she was sure she would end up walking into a wall or something to that effect. She was not a soldier, she was not trained this.

When Delta started move forward into the darkness, Jennifer knew that there would be no way around it. She took the deepest of breaths as if she feared the tunnel had no oxygen then stepped through the shadowed threshold with the rest of the squad.

It was worse than she had imagined. It was like someone had placed a thick, black blanket over her vision; the darkness suffocating and squeezing the very life out of her. There were very few precious sources of light; only Dom's armour torch, Carmine's helmet and Sergeant Fenix's little rank bulbs. Not nearly enough to fight off Jennifer's rapidly rising terror. All around the medic, she heard the footsteps of the other squad members bouncing off the stone walls. So sure and precise they sounded, much unlike her hesitant stumbling. It was as if they were walking in sunshine and had nothing to worry about. They were even chatting to one another.

"Could be anything in here. Keep an eye out Delta," warned Sergeant Fenix, somewhere in front of the stumbling medic.

"Ever wonder why they don't just give us flashlights?" asked Carmine from behind.

The soldier known as Dom answered somewhere from the left. "Kids got a point."

"Might versus Light." Tai might have well have been a shadow for all Jennifer knew. He just seemed to blend into the element completely.

"Meaning?..."

"That I'd take an extra gun over a flashlight any day."

Once the Rig had started to slowly inch through the gloom and darkness, someone touched her arm gently. Jennifer was so tense that she could not hold back a small yelp but thankfully, the engines of the Rig dwarfed her cry. She squinted through her glasses – as much use as they were in the dark – and recognised the glowing teal visor of Carmine. His helmet was one of the few sources of light in the tunnel. "Hey, you alright?"

"No, I-I can't do this Carmine," she whispered, her voice trembling as much as her legs.

"Hang on a second," said Carmine. Jennifer heard some rustling and the snapping of a Longshot being clipped to armour then felt someone grasp her trembling hand tightly. Jennifer nearly had a complete seizure. She had not expected such a bold action but made no attempt to try and shake him the fact that both of their hands were clad in gloves, the medic could distinctly feel his warmth seeping in through her thermal layering. That same heat jumped up her neck and flooded onto her cheeks. For a fraction of a nano second, she was grateful for the darkness.

"Don't worry, we'll be okay. There's a Rig right behind us and Sarge in front. Nothing will get past him." For several minutes, Carmine said nothing else and simply held her hand securely, leading her through the shadows. Jennifer supposed that his helmet had night vision or something to that effect built in. Nothing else could have explained why he was so completely at home in the dark. Despite wandering through darkness and feeling like the world's biggest bat, Jennifer felt oddly safe for the first time since they had entered Landown.

_"It's darker than a rat's ass in here. Let me light up Betty's titties."  
_  
Once Dizzy had turned on the fog lights, Carmine released Jennifer's hand just in the nick of time before any of the other Gears noticed. She was grateful for his discretion. She was not entirely sure she could have handled Dom's teasing once again. "Thank you Carmine," she said, her palm still tingling somewhat.

His visor tilted slightly into a small nod. "It's okay, I know this must be kinda hard but if you need help, I'm here okay?"

"I appreciate that, you're very kind."

It seemed as if Carmine were going to say something else but an all too familiar scuttling sound chilled the bones beneath Jennifer's skin.

"Fuck, Marcus, that what I think it is?"

A Ticker that scuttled out of the gloom supplied the answer. Less than a second later, another ten scuttled forward the soldiers like moths drawn to flame.

"Ah shit!" Sergeant Fenix snapped his Shotgun from his back, wearing a snarl that would have sent Jennifer running in the opposite direction had she been a Ticker. "Don't let them near the Rig!" Three Shotguns and one Lancer erupted off inside the tunnel in response. The medic dropped right back and jumped onto one of the ladders attached to the Assault Derrick. Jennifer had always had an aversion to gunfire, especially in enclosed spaces. She just could not help it. Her oldest memory of gunfire was being at a funeral ceremony for someone rather important – someone very close to the family. She had hidden behind her father's trouser clad leg and cried out when the ten shots of a Lancer Rifle sounded off in the air. She remembered clearly how disappointed he had looked with her, how disappointed that she was not like her older brother – whom had stood perfectly still and straight throughout the entire ceremony as if he were a human statue.

Fifteen years later and her fear of loud noises had not disappeared. If anything, it seemed to grow worse and left her feeling crushed.

What good was a soldier that was afraid of gunfire?

Tickers scuttled in and out of the gloom; exploding here, there and everywhere in medium sized puffs of flames; lighting up the entire cavern. Despite her fear, the little medic found the explosions of the small creatures to be extremely fascinating. It was most likely the colour of the erupting flame when they combusted; orange coupled with sparks of gold and red that just looked morbidly beautiful.

One Ticker had managed to sneak up on Sergeant Fenix and detonated a second after the squad leader managed to roll. The aftershock of the blast knocked him against a wall where two more Tickers converged on his position. It seemed as if they knew he was the leader and that eliminating him was the best way to disband the squad.

Unfortunately, the Tickers had not calculated Dominic Santiago into their plan. Coming to Marcus's aid, Dom's steel toed boot implanted against the body of the scuttling little insect and sent it flying sky high. A clicking time bomb collided with the ceiling of the tunnel and exploded against the stone and concrete. The tunnel rumbled loudly as if groaning in pain.

Dom reached a gloved hand down and hauled Sergeant Fenix to his feet. "Up and at 'em"

"Thanks Dom."

The second Ticker backed off the Sergeant and scuttled through between the legs of Tai. The decorated soldier pivoted on his booted heel and fired, igniting yet another Ticker into a ball of fire and smoke. A third scuttled out four metres away from Jennifer and scurried towards her; the high pitched clicking even more demonic in the shadows. Jennifer aimed with her shotgun, screwed her eyes shut then pulled the stiff trigger. Jennifer had some level of hope that even she of all people could hit a target less than three feet in front of her.

And much to medic's pure delight and the surprise of the soldiers, the Ticker's body erupted into a ball of gold and orange sparks. Jennifer blinked twice as if her brain could not quite register what exactly had happened.

"I did it!" she squealed.

"Nice shot," Carmine congratulated over the gunfire.

Jennifer beamed in the darkness.

Perhaps there was hope for her after.

When the air stilled and the Tickers had been dealt with, Delta cut through a maintenance room since the path ahead had been blocked with a barricade of upturned Cars and such. While Betty could crush the blockage as easily as tin cans, the rest of the squadron had to take another route. Instead, they stomped on through the old boiler room. Fortunately for them, they found several rounds of Lancer ammo, a few Sniper Shots and nearly fourteen Slug shells that they divided between them. Jennifer had offered Carmine a few of her untouched stash of Lancer ammo but the young Gear politely declined, stating that she would need in more in the coming hours.

"How much further now?" Dom asked as the group exited the side path. The Assault Derrick rolled on up behind them, cursing down any remaining blockage or rubble.

"Shouldn't be too much longer now. Dizzy, we could use some more light," Sergeant Fenix radioed in the Rig driver.  
_  
"Don't worry, I back your back like a buttcrack."_The Halogen lights of the Rig brightened considerably to the point where Jennifer could finally see several metres in front of her. The squad continued forward, Marcus leading with Dom and Tai flanking the sides to Carmine and Jennifer herself bringing up the rear. A few more Tickers scurried out from the shadows but a single Shotgun shell put them all down for good.

When the tunnel started to get brighter and brighter from the light at the end of the tunnel, Jennifer breathed a heavy sigh of relief that she was sure that the rest of the squad heard even over Betty's engines.

Just a little bit further.

Suddenly, the light that had been pouring on in from the outside suddenly disappeared. Jennifer looked up in question and felt her blood run as icy cold as the frozen lakes of the Jacinto river. An eight legged monstrosity was waiting at the end of the subway, hissing and stomping its long, dexterous limbs in obvious impatience. It was a Reaver, of that much she was certain. The fifteen inch model she had seen way back in Basic training had certainly not done it any justice. "Reaver! Scatter Delta!" Sergeant Fenix yelled to the rest of the squad. The other soldiers all scattered, spreading and clinging to whatever shadows that could be used to their advantage. Rounds of armour piercing bullets rocketed out in three steady streams of steel, slamming into the creature's chest plating. The squad leader targeted the riders of the beast while the rest of Delta concentrated on distracting the creature for as long as humanly possible.

"Get in the Rig Anderson!" Carmine shouted, trading his Longshot for a Lancer. Jennifer wanted to move but found she had become fossilised wood – completely petrified. Tickers were one battle; a Reaver was completely out of her league. The Reaver seemed to know this for it homed in on the small medic as the easiest target. Jennifer simply stared, her ears deaf to the shouts of her fellow soldiers. She had a Lancer on her back but made no movement to try and draw it. It was as if the shadows of the passageway had wrapped around her limbs like shackles, preventing them from moving. When the Reaver at the end of the tunnel brought its rockets to bear in her general direction, she found she could not budged an inch.

Then, without warning, Jennifer felt as if she had been slammed into a brick wall. In fact, that was exactly what happened. Her thick framed glasses went flying somewhere into the darkness, rendering the medic nearly completely blind. Her perception of sound was still excellent for she distinctly heard the missile whiz on overhead and exploded the exact spot that she had been standing on seconds previously. The Rig driver Dizzy yelled something through the Tac/Com but Jennifer did not hear him. All that she could focus on was the large, ugly scorch mark against the gravel – visible even without her glasses on – and the fact that she had nearly one hundred and fifty pounds worth of Carmine crouched upon her. A heartbeat later and the younger Gear had launched upright; bullets erupting from the nose of his Bayonet Rifle.

It seemed as if an age had passed and hundreds of rounds wasted before the Reaver finally keeled over at the exit of the tunnel. Only once Tai had bravely crept forward and gave the Reaver a hesitant poke with his Lancer did Delta relax when the beast did not stir. Jennifer reached a gloved hand and felt the gravel blindly, searching for her glasses. Fingers coiled around the frames and Jennifer brought them up into the light. To the medic's relief, they were not broken and were only battered slightly from the impact. She slid them onto their rightful home on her nose.

"Take five Delta," Sergeant Fenix breathed before he rounded onto the small medic; his mouth twisted into a snarl. Jennifer knew what was coming and would have liked nothing more than to turn on her booted heel and run for the hills. Jennifer was sure that Locust soldiers must have told stories about Sergeant Fenix to get their own pasty white offspring to behave. "What the Fuck was that about Anderson? You almost ended up as cannon fodder for that Reaver if Carmine hadn't floored you in time!"

Shame splattered her cheeks cherry red. "I-I'm so sorry Sergeant, I didn't mean to," Jennifer inwardly winced the moment the words had left her mouth. Never before had she sounded quite so pathetic. It was a new personal best.

"That sort of shit will get you killed Anderson."

"I-I know. I just didn't think Reavers were that big is all."

His fierce facial expression softened ever so slightly that Jennifer was sure she had just imagined it. "That the first time you've seen a Reaver up close?"

"Yes Sergeant."

The squad leader grunted. "Figures." He straightened up and frowned at her, pale blue eyes clouded with warning. "But if you pull a stunt like that again, I'll drag you back to Jacinto myself. Am I clear?"

Jennifer bowed her dark haired head. "Yes Sergeant Fenix. I-It won't happen again. I swear."

"It better not. Carmine won't always be around to save your skin." With that, the squad leader turned on his heel and motioned the group forward with a wave of his gloved hand. Jennifer fell right to the back of the group behind Dom and Tai, following after them like a little ghost.

Carmine dropped back slightly to walk by Jennifer's side. "Don't be sad Anderson. It wasn't your fault. I mean, Reavers are kinda scary."

Jennifer managed a weak smile and contemplated telling him that she was born a soldier, just a very bad one. "I'm really sorry by the way."

The helmeted Gear stopped and cocked in his head in an inquisitive manner. "Why you apologising?"

"Because you risked your life to save me. All because I froze up," She had multiple purple bruises to prove it.

"That's what you do in a squad, you look out for one another," he remarked cheerfully before he started forward again, his good nature positively eradiating off him like the sun rays. Jennifer stared was completely baffled by his mannerisms. She had never met someone quite like him in her entire life, someone so willing to lay down their life to save her own.

It made her have faith in her fellow gears again.

For a while, nothing could dampen Jennifer's spirit.

Not even the storm of fire that rained down upon them the moment that Delta emerged from the tunnel.

* * *

_Spring sunlight peeked through the buttercup yellow curtains, warming the living room and its occupants pleasantly. On a fine corner table, a large bunch of Serarian daffodils drunk in the warm afternoon sunshine and left the room smelling of fields and fresh air. On the mantel piece, many photographs had been placed in pretty frames decorated with seashells and gloss. The room was decorated with oak furniture and painted with shades of deep green that just screamed of good taste and elegance._

_Two adults were perched on the creamy white sofa, the woman snuggled up to the bulky man. One of his large hands thumbed through her hair, feeling the silk-like threads of hair between his fingertips. Maria breathed in his musky, spicy scent and felt her heart swell inside her chest._

_This was where she was meant to be._

_"This is nice," Maria remarked, her tiny fingers tracing the silver buttons on his shirt._

_Her husband Dominic smiled gently, warmth dancing in his chocolate coloured orbs that he reserved only for her. He was an absolute to dream to look at; tall ,dark and handsome and would probably stay that way for quite some time. "Good to get away from the kids for a while huh?"_

_Maria laughed and snuggled against him. She breathed in his musky, spicy scent. "I think it's the other way around. They practically took the door down when Marcus showed up," Maria stated, thinking back to her hyperactive children and their gruff godfather._

_"Sometimes I think that they like him better than me," Dom remarked humorously._

_"Sometimes even I like him better than you," Maria added with a playful grin._

_Dom gave one of her long, dark locks a gentle tug. "Wish you married him now?"_

_Maria looked around the room that had been their own for nearly two weeks and gave a satisfied smile. "Mrs Maria Fenix. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?" She broke into another peal of laughter at the look on his face. "Not in a million years. I wouldn't trade you for the world," She reached up and kissed his cheek gently to prove her point._

_"Right back at you babe." He shifted underneath Maria slightly, indicating that he was planning to move. "Right, I'm going to get a beer."_

_The dark haired woman raised a fine eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to move?"_

_"It would make things easier," he responded._

_Maria decided that she would not budge an inch. "No, I'm quite comfy here actually."_

_A grin crossed Dom's face that Maria was not entirely sure she liked. Before she could protest, the soldier shifted her small body onto his shoulder and stood up from the sofa. Maria squeaked and pummelled him. "That's not fair Dom!" she whinged, her strikes like feathers dancing across his muscled back._

_"Well, you didn't want to move," he pointed out and strode to the kitchen with Maria slung over his shoulder like a jumper. She huffed loudly, her breath catching a few stray hairs. Dom opened up the fridge and removed a beer canister with one hand, the other braced against Maria's back. "You're impossible sometimes Dom," she stated, unable to fight back a smile even if her life depended on it._

_"I know. You want something from the fridge?"_

_"Get me a soda." Dom retrieved the brightly coloured soft-drink can and handed it to Maria before plodding on back through to the living room. He placed Maria onto the sofa then flopped down next to her with his trusty beer canister. The dark haired woman snapped open her can and took a small sip of the fizzy lemon flavoured water then snuggled back up to him. "Dom?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"I love you. You know that right?"_

_"I love you too Maria. Each day more than the last."_

Someone kicked Maria's belly with a booted foot. Dark green eyes fluttered open gently and it took a few moments for Maria to realise she had been crying in her sleep. Thick, fat tears fell down her face and onto the ground beneath her. Notions of a life lost had been taunting her dreams again, dangling her family on a piece of string just out of her reach. For a moment, Maria could still feel Dom's fingers threading through her hair. She could still feel the warmth of the afternoon sun dancing against her skin. She could even still smell the scent of spring lingering in her nostrils. As the dream fled with each passing second, Maria became aware of her surroundings. There was no light and no warmth and the only scent that she could smell was that of blood.

"Get up Munnnaki."

Maria chilled to those hissing tones. She looked up and saw Kam'marok standing over her, his Locust features fixed into what she guessed was a look of disgust. It was always hard to tell with the Locust. Cold dread flooded into her very core as she realised that she had fallen asleep during her break. Other prisoners were up and about once again, chipping away the blackened rocks and granite. She was the only one who was not working. She struggled to get up, her vision still blurred slightly by tears.

"Up!" he repeated.

Maria steeled herself. She would not lose faith in front of the...monster. If anything, his brutality sparked the fight that was still lingering inside her heart. Something that had been suppressed from years of drugs and anti-depressants. She would be brave just like Anya would have been. "Alright, alright. I'm getting up!" she snapped at the white skinned creature. Kam'marok large eyes flashed with murderous intent and his hand itched by the leather Brumak whip tied to his belt. Maria, along with every other captive in the camp, feared that whip and its power. Five strikes had nearly dropped her at death's door once before.

"Munnnaki does not talk back. Munnnaki listens and obeys."

Maria lost her temper at the Locust Drone. "No! I will not listen and I will not obey!" The Locust had stolen her family, her home, her freedom, her friends and probably her most of her sanity as well. She had nothing left to lose by fighting back against the Locust whom imprisoned her. "Does Munnnaki need another lesson of respect?" Kam'marok asked, his Locust features fixed into a grin. Around the encampment, the other captives had ceased working to stand and stare. Even the Locust guards overseeing the camp looked somewhat intrigued. Maria clenched her fists in effort to stop her calloused hands from trembling. "You're the one who needs a lesson in respect," Maria spat back. She knew that Ragnarok would be upset with her. He had made it clear that she was to obey the Overseer of the encampment to prevent any future incidents.

But Maria decided that she did not care.

Suddenly, Maria found herself back on the ground; one of her cheek flaming with red hot pain. Rocks crunched against her back, burying into her skin through the thin fabric of her clothing. A trickle of hot blood escaped her lips, dripping down her chin. Dizzy from the force of the impact, Maria stared up at the Kam'marok; her vision hazy and blurred. If Dom had been there, Maria was sure that the Locust in question would have been reduced to nothing but a messy bloodstain on the ground.

But there was no Dom. No Marcus. No Anya.

Only Maira.

Alone.

Against over nine million Locust and counting.

Before she could fight back the rising vertigo, his boot planted itself against her gut, lifting the woman off the ground. Around Maria, the crowd trembled in fear for her life. They did not like to see one of their own being treated in such a manner but none had the power to stop Kam'marok. He was a god in the work camp and they all knew it.

Maria coughed up a mouthful of blood and glared hatefully at the Locust Drone. He made a move to kick her again when suddenly...

"Kam'marok! Halt!"

The dark haired woman looked up and relief flooded her features. Ragnarok moved through the captives towards them. It was like a morbid fairy tale to Maria and she could have smiled at her own comparison had her jaw not been so sore. This was the part where the knight in shining armour showed up to defeat the monster and rescue the damsel in distress.

Turing his attention from Maria, Kam'marok rounded onto the approaching Locust and hissed at him in their brutal native tongue. Like a tranquil pond, Ragnarok's face did not change in the slightest as Kam'marok snarled accusations and threats at him. Maria heard the word "Munnnaki" mentioned several times and felt fear settle like slime in the pits of her stomach. She was more afraid then than she had been facing down the Locust jailor. Uncertainty and questions swirled around her dark haired head.

But Ragnarok remained as firm as a rock against the angry ocean. Cautiously and without any indication of hostility, he stepped in between Maria and the Locust Jailor. Ragnarok crouched to Maria's level and gently helped her onto unsteady legs. Kam'marok's seethed at the other Drone, furious at Ragnarok's interference in his work camp.

"Fenrir will hear of your meddling Ragnarok," he threatened, switching into English. Although he was addressing Ragnarok, Maria felt his heavy stare upon her the entire time. He had deliberately switched into English to plant the seeds of fear into Maria's mind. It would not take long before they sprouted into full bloom.

"Then go Kam'marok. Go like the snake that you are and tell them," answered the Drone. Maria noticed his skin tense slightly as he answered and for a second, she was so certain that his pale flesh had flickered with dull gold. Perhaps she had been underground for far too long and were simply imaging it.

Kam'marok seemed not to notice for he continued to argue with Maria's Locust. "Kam'marok wonders why Ragnarok would anger the Vanir for a Groundwalker."

The dark haired woman looked to Ragnarok, only to find his face unreadable as murky waters. As usual. She wondered that too. Why would such a high ranking Locust be so inclined to risk everything to help her? She wondered briefly if she were caught in the middle of a fierce blood feud that had very little to do with her; as if she were merely a weapon that they used to strike one another. From the evidence she had gathered, it certainly seemed that way. She was a rather insignificant person, just one of many thousand human captives. Why exactly did she matter?

"My reasons do not concern you,_ Inferius Fremere._" Maria recognised the words instantly, as did Kam'marok. Ragnarok had pulled rank and status on the other Locust. Although Ragnarok and Kam'marok were siblings – that much was certain from the similar inky clan marks they both shared - Maria's Drone had many more tattoos that indicated his importance among the other Locust. Clearly furious, Kam'marok hissed a Locust curse at his brother and stalked off out of sight; each footstep like the sound of a thunder storm clashing overhead. The rest of the captives released a simultaneous sigh of relief but Maria felt as if she were better off dead.

Once the captives and Locust had dispersed, Ragnarok rounded on Maria; looking about as close to angry as the woman had ever seen. "You have been foolish homonid."

Maria's throat tightened to the point where she could not speak. She wanted to explain her actions, to somehow convey just how she had felt. Maria knew she had acted unwise but she had not been able to help herself. She had been so tired and upset that for a moment, Maria had wanted nothing better than to die. Something in her facial expression must have changed for the Drone softened his harsh gaze somewhat. "You must be careful more Munnnaki."

"Why Ragnarok? My children are dead, my husband is god only knows where and I am a prisoner. Why must I be careful? What have I got left to lose?" Maria cried out.

The Locust Drone looked over his shoulder for a second then looked back towards Maria. "There is a great change on the winds," he whispered as if it were a great secret he was sharing. Maria stared blankly at the Drone, unsure what to make of his cryptic riddles. "What do you mean?" the dark haired woman asked.

"Soon Munnnaki, I will take you away from here."

"Away from here? To the surface" Maria asked, optimism and hope pulling her hopeless heart from the shadows. If she could somehow get to the surface, Maria was sure that she would have a fighting chance to find a COG outpost and possibly send a message to Dom.

Ragnarok placed a hand on his dappled chest. "You shall come with me into Nexus."

The dark haired woman crashed back to reality with a sickening thud and suddenly felt apprehensive. Events were progressing and changing far too quickly for Maria's liking. Only yesterday had Ragnarok shared water with the young mother. Mere hours ago had he given her new boots and even laced them and now he announced that he intended to take her deeper into the Locust stronghold. Despite the fact that Ragnarok had done nothing to harm Maria and indeed protected her from the cruelties of his blood thirsty brother, a fraction of Maria's sanity warned her to be vigilant of any Locust mind tricks and games. Gods above knew they were good at them. "With you Ragnarok?"

"Yes, you shall live with me and my mate Hel."

Bright emerald eyes widened with shock. "Hel?"

The Drone nodded again slowly. "Hel is kind. Her heart does not have the venom inside to hate even groundwalkers. My kinsmen often say that she is more human than Locust."

"But I thought humans were not allowed in Nexus?"

Ragnarok waved her inquiry off with a grey dappled hand. "Do not worry yourself with such matters Munnnaki. Wait. Soon, all shall become clear."

Maria sighed and rubbed her sore cheek. The impact from Kam'marok's punch would probably bruise and be quite tender for some time.

It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

**And that's a wrap folks. Snakes Alive, 11,290 words worth of GoW fanfiction! Guess I should probably explain myself and my changes.**

**1. The Locust speak Latin. You're shocked I know. Since Sera means "Bolt or Missile" I figured this would be appropiate for the Locust horde to have this as their spoken language. **_**Inferius Fremere **_**translates to something like "Lower Drone" depending on which translation you use.**

**2. Locust Females such as Hel. I know Beserkers are stated as the breeding females in the Locust Horde but I wanted to try write about regular females, the ones who weren't soldiers.**

**3. Hel, Fenrir and Vanir are all from the Norse gods. Hel was the daughter of Loki, the fire god and Fenir was her brother whom ate Odin at Ragnarok. The Vanir is the older branch of the norse gods while the Aesir are the younger ones. Like Hel, I plan on making them a part of the story in the future**

**4. Baird's inner rant about Jennifer. I just wanted to make it perfectly clear that he does not like her in the slightest. Many Baird/OC fics start off like that but not mine. Just wanted to clear that up. No love for Baird in this story. Not even a little.**


	4. IV: Shape of Things to Come

**Fire here.**

**No, I'm not dead. I had to restart several times because I had major writers block *Flips table." Hopefully, this chapter hasn't turned out too horrible. I did my best. Really, this chapter is more about Maria than Jennifer, Marcus and the rest of Delta. Look out for a few surprises.**

**While you're here, I suggest you check out these other GoW fanfictions. They are all awesome in their own right: "Edge of Defense"by Auron-Kae, "Gears of War: Consequences" by The WolvGambit, "Drive my Heart" by DamonxBairdx, "Phalanx" by necaberint and "A Grievous Redemption" by the lovely Jord!**

**Big thank you to Judge Magister Fermus for listening to me talk about this fic and let me touch ideas off him. Without him, it would never exist. Cheers bro!**

* * *

**Gears of War 2: **Crimson Cross

**Chapter Four: **The Shape of Things to Come

**"Hope and pray, that you never need me  
But rest assured I will not let you down  
I walk beside you, but you may not see me  
The strongest among you may not wear a crown"  
**- Three Doors Down,** "Citizen Soldier"  
**

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 13:20  
**Current Location**: Landown

"Take cover!"

Marcus and the Carmine dropped to the floor inside the rooftop building just in time. Rockets from the Brumak exploded against the already fragile scaffolding. Dust and bits of plaster fell down from the roof. Glass shattered in all over the crouching gears, covering them with a mess of crystal rain. Marcus snarled like a big angry dog and shook his shoulders; glass pouring off to the ground. Carmine reached up a hand and brushed his neck free from chips of glass.

A Brumak was a bitch no matter what mood one was in but they were nearly impossible when one's squad was exhausted. Marcus Fenix slid a clip of Lancer ammo into his trusted friend with a growl that was audible even over the howling roar of the Brumak that was stomping out of the tunnel ahead. The rookie Gear crouched in cover, his shoulders trembling with fear and exertion beneath his armour. Dom was the rooftop opposite; gloved hands wrapped around a lever of a Mortar Launcher with Tai covering his exposed back.

Over the buzzing and hectic Tac/Com, Dizzy radioed in to the fatigued Gears. _"Oh hell, he gonna try and molest my Betty." _The assault Derrick stated.

"_Should I fire Marcus?" _Dom shouted over

"Wait until he comes out of the tunnel then nail the bastard."

As so they waited until the Brumak had stomped out of the tunnel. Every second seemed as if it were an age to Marcus Fenix. His pulse was nothing but a deafening roar in his eardrums as his heart hammered away as if it thought its beats were numbered.

It was always the stench of the Brumak that got to Marcus that most. Like rotting flesh soaked in stagnant bog water and no matter what he did afterwards, he could never get the putrid smell out of his nostrils. It was truly horrifying but no less than seeing the creature in glorious 3D. A screaming roar indicated that the Brumak had finally emerged from mountain tunnel. Marcus looked up from behind his cover. Despite having been a soldier for nearly twenty years, the sight of a Brumak could still freeze the blood inside his veins.

"_Now Marcus?" _Dom asked through the Tac/Com, his tone becoming increasingly strained. Marcus could hardly blame him. The Latino man was only a few metres away from a Brumak. Had the situation been reversed, Marcus was sure he would have felt the same way.

"Now Dom!"

Dom did not need telling twice. On the opposite side of the residential blocks, he leaned back and released an Imulsion infused rocket. Even a good three hundred yards away, Marcus clearly heard the scream of the rocket being freed from its metal prison. It reared up into the sky like an unruly horse then after a hundred and sixty metres, the rocket split into several explosive bomblets and rained down onto the Brumak below. Many tiny little detonations of fire explode on the Brumak's yellowed hide like an outbreak of pimples. Another monstrous howl escaped the beast, this one a cry of pain. The Brumak raised its head in the direction of Dom, huge jaws slavering and looking as if it would like nothing more than to swallow Dom whole. The beast shifted to the right, bearing down on Dom. The Latino man stepped back as best as the mortar launcher would allow; removing the latch and shoving in another rocket into the Launch tubes. _"Uh, Marcus. Need a hand here."_

"You heard him Carmine. Distract that Brumak!"

Carmine shoved his Lancer through the broken window and opened fire. His Lancer barked and growled as it released heavy streams of steel into the air. Marcus followed the suit, concentrating his fire in short and controlled bursts unlike his rookie soldier. He did not want to waste too much ammo. Their attempt at distraction seemed to work for the Brumak lumbered around once it realised it was being hit from behind. "Fire again Dom!" Marcus yelled over the static of the Tac/Com.

Another rocket reared into the sky, split then streaked down onto the Brumak. Blood exploded outwards, peppering the tough skin of the Brumak with wounds the size of boulders. The monster roared and screamed in protest, stamping its huge feet as if it were throwing a temper tantrum. The armoured head of the Brumak seemed to swivel back and forth between Marcus and Dom, unsure who to attack first. Logic would have suggested that Dom was the more likely target of the two but Brumaks were not known for their intelligence. "Once more with feeling Dom!" the squad leader shouted back over to his companion.

The final and last rocket exploded from the metal shaft of the launcher with a piercing crack and a gasp of smoke. The Latino man then threw the launcher to the ground and retreated back from the edge of the rooftop as more fire rain poured down from the skies above. A hail of explosive bombs rained down on the skull of the Brumak. Marcus heard the shatter of a skull exploding but felt it through his spine instead. There was just no way he could have possibly ignored it. The crack seemed to echo right across Landown. The Brumak stumbled and swayed before it collapsed to the ground as if it were a puppet and Dom had just cut the strings.

"_Alright! Brumak burgers on me everyone!" _

Marcus looked out from the roof shack hesitantly and saw nothing but the charred and bloody remains of the offending Brumak. He gave his Tac/Com a quick jab. "Nice work Dom, let's get back to the rig." He flicked onto Dizzy's frequency. "Right Dizzy, area is clear. Bring the Rig on through, I think we'll ride the rest of the way."

A rumbling a few moments indicated that the Rig had rolled up through the gap between the residential blocks. The ex-stranded picked up Marcus and a trembling Carmine first then rolled on forward to allowed Dom and Tai to jump onto the metal decking of the Rig. _"Welcome back boys and good job. Mmmmh, smell that Brumak Barbecue_," the older man stated as they continued deeper into the ruins of Landown.

"You alright in there Dizzy?"

"_Yup, me 'nd the little lady be okay."_

The little medic joined the radio conversation, adding her two cents worth. _"That was really scary."_

The squad leader gave a small snort. "Stick around Anderson, that ain't the worst of it."

Marcus flicked off his Tac/Com and turned back to his tired and fatigued squad. Dom seemed to be okay considering that he was almost turned to Brumak chowder. Carmine, however, was a different story. He collapsed onto the steel deck of the Assault rigs, quivering and trembling like a plate of brown and teal jelly. The squad leader's face softened ever so slightly and he crouched down to Carmine's level. "You okay kid?" the squad leader asked, still sounding gruff despite his best efforts. His tone did not match his face.

The rookie soldier tried to struggle up but his legs collapsed beneath him. He tried again, only for his form to crumple once more. The sight of the ever persistent little gear trying to scrabble onto his feet coaxed a small smile onto Marcus's face. "I think so Sarge but my legs just won't work."

"Just keep taking in deep breathes and you'll be fine Rook." The squad leader turned away from his younger soldier and cast his blue eyed gaze across the graveyard that was Landown. The Rig rolled in deeper through the wreckage, right into a graveyard that had once been one of the most sacred places in the city. Landown Cemeteries had once been very beautiful, some many years ago. The grass had always been neat and trimmed, no matter the season. In the summer, Honeysuckles and jasmine had been the only invaders and once left the air smelling pleasantly fresh. It had never seemed like a graveyard to Marcus, rather a splendid garden of marble statues and sweet smelling flowers.

Now, there was nothing remotely beautiful about the graveyard. The Morning mist had refused to shift, giving the graveyard a rather ghostly look that Marcus did not appreciate in the slightest. Once polished and pristine marble had been either smashed to pieces or covered in all manner of organic waste. Marcus's blood pressure flared and he gripped his Lancer tightly.

Beside Marcus, Dom's hands were clenched so tightly that the squad leader was sure he was drawing blood even through his gloves. "This puts the 'grave' in Graveyard."

"_Dirty Grub shit all over the place. They got no respect for the dead," _Dizzy added in from the cockpit with a bite in his tone.

Marcus nodded. "A lot of good soldiers from the Pendulum wars were buried here."

"Like Carlos."

The squad leader's skin tensed beneath his thermal layering. Even after nearly fifteen years, Carlos's death still clung to him – clung to them both. "Yeah, like Carlos. Sure could use him now," he mumbled to himself, looking out onto the ruins that had once been Landown and giving his Tac/Com a quick tap. "Control this is Delta, we've reached the drill zone."

Anya buzzed in from the other end, her firm and level voice a welcoming sound in his eardrums. "Rodger that Delta. What's your launch status?"

Dizzy joined in the conversation as well, his frequency more choppy than Anya's. _"We're getting the lifts in position now as long as Delta keeps my ass covered."_

"Rodger that, Control out." With that, the blonde woman disappeared from the other end of the line, leaving Marcus and Dizzy alone on the radio wave. He flicked his Tac/Com back to the public channel, unable to shake the sense of foreboding that crept up his spine. Usually, that indicated that an ambush was about to take place.

Marcus's sturdy backbone was right on the money.

Before Delta could blink, the earth grumbled and a huge gaping hole – almost like a wound - opened up on the ground below a good ten metres or so away from Rig. It was an Emergence Hole. A rather large one in fact. The soil just seemed to melt away as easily as ice and the pong of Imulsion hit Marcus like a slap in the face. Fifteen years ago and that would have made him gag. Now, Marcus Fenix's stomach was as steely as his will. "We've got a grub hole!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth did several holes E-holes split open near the Assault Derrick. Grey white soldiers just seemed to flood right out – twenty or thirty to a single COG soldier present at Landown.

It was going to be a long battle indeed.

"I'll get the turret!" Dom shouted across to the squad leader. Marcus rolled back across the deck and kicked open the largest supply compartment with one of his booted feet. Tucked away inside the padded box was another Mortar launcher, complete with several rounds of exploding rockets. The dark haired soldier smirked, mentally chalking up the Locust kills he could make as he holstered the great weapon up onto his hip. There was only one problem with the Mortar Launcher. It was terribly heavy and difficult to manoeuvre with. It would have split a lesser man in half but not Marcus Fenix. Delta's leader had to crouch low to the ground and slowly creep along the deck of the Rig while the rest of his squad covered him.

"Are these the ten shitloads you were talking about Sarge?" the rookie gear called out as he poked his head up to take a shot at an approaching Locust. Marcus growled and mounted his Launcher against the railing of the Rig. "What do you think? Hit 'em hard Delta!" the Sergeant shouted over the thunder of gunfire, furious that the rookie had picked such an inopportune time to ask a question with such an obvious answer.

As time rushed on, the chaos became unimaginable. Marcus's Tac/Com buzzed and vibrated against his eardrum like an angry bee, the public line swimming with activity. Raven pilots shouted over to one another through the static, able to identify one another even through the intense buzzing and fuzzy static. Shots cracked through the air like a thousand whips. The howls of the already wounded and dying penetrated his ear drums, burning into his memory for all eternity.

The situation was messy, brutal and loud.

It was the personification of War.

"_Make sure they don't hit Betty 'nd the girls. Otherwise, this mission is over,"_ Dizzy shouted was such intensity that the squad leader would have ripped his Tac/Com right out of his ear had his hands not been otherwise engaged. As if his ears weren't ringing enough without having to listen to the Ex-Stranded state the painfully obvious.

Without any further delays or distractions, Marcus leaned back; bracing his heavily booted foot on the railing then pushed the discharge lever forward. He felt the Mortar launcher shudder against him, still for a moment then the rocket exploded upwards with a gasp of thick smoke. Marcus turned his head and clenched his eyes shut while the smog from the gun cleared. The stuff always seemed to dry up his throat and sting his eyes. It made him wish he had invested in a pair of goggles like Baird.

Just as Marcus started to load in the second Mortar round, he heard a yelp of pain then a heavy thump against the decking alerted Marcus to the painful fact that one of his soldiers was down.

Carmine was on the metal decking, one gloved hand clutching his shoulder while the other still grasped his Lancer. Marcus could clearly make out the slick shine of blood on his hand. The squad leader reacted just as expected of him and moved to protect his downed soldier. "Oh shit Sarge, I'm hit!" Carmine spluttered out, in case the sergeant had not noticed. The colour drained from the raven haired soldier's face and at that moment, Marcus felt a sort of strange attachment to the younger gear. An obligation even. Anthony Carmine had died because Delta had not been careful enough, picked off by a single bullet from a Sniper who had been having a good day. Losing another companion was like another failure, another blow to the COG. Marcus was not willing to let it happen again. The Hollow would freeze over before Marcus would let a Locust Sniper take yet another Carmine. He knew he would never be able to face Mrs Carmine if he did.

The squad leader moved Carmine's bloodied hand away and applied his own pressure. After all, Marcus had had much more experience with gun wounds than the rookie soldier. The younger gear coughed beneath his helmet, his breathing harboured and fast. His fists clenched and unclenched but he did not make a sound. No doubt putting on a brave front for Marcus's benefit. "Hold on Rook, I'm getting help." He looked up to his pseudo brother on the turret. "Dom! Keep us covered while I get Anderson out here!"

The gear did not bother looking in Marcus's direction and simply raised a thumb before he carried on shooting. Marcus wondered why he even bothered asking. Of course Dom would keep them covered. It was foolish to of him to assume that his Latino friend would do anything less. Marcus gave the silver button mounted inside his ear a jab. "Anderson, we need you put here now!" Marcus hollered into his Tac/Com.

No response, only a very frightened squeak and some incoherent mumbling. Marcus could see the image in his mind – Anderson curled up inside the Rig cockpit with her hands clamped over her ears, trying to drown it all out. After all, she had done that once or twice before – freezing under the pressure of responsibility in the battlefield.

The squad looked down at the rookie Gear then tried again. "Anderson, if you don't get up here now, Carmine is gonna bleed out on us," Marcus stated into the Tac/Com, the urgency in his gravelly voice evident.

He heard a tiny little gasp on the other end.

Then, after Marcus had begun to write the medic off as a lost cause, he heard the trembling voice of the woman through his Tac/Com. _"I'll be right there Sergeant," _Anderson punctured through the static before she flicked off the line. Satisfied, Marcus flicked onto the public radio wave. "To any available units, this is Delta. We're a man down and we need a Mortar run on the west side."

"_Delta, this is Sigma squad. We're on it Sergeant,"_ came the calm voice of Private Theirin over the hissing and cracking line. Marcus looked out to the left and saw that five other Assault Derricks had arrived at the scene, one of them manned by Baird's squadron. A second later and a hail of exploding rounds exploded down on the furthest side of the battlefield, maiming many Locust and closing up a few deep Emergence holes.

Concentrating fully on protecting the downed soldier, Marcus armed himself with a Boltok pistol while he kept pressure on Carmine's wound. Evidently, he had not been doing a very good job. Blood seemed to pool out onto the deck like a crimson blanket. Marcus could not help marvel. How exactly could so much blood come from such a small wound? The sergeant guessed that the Sniper must have hit an artery but he was no doctor and could not be entirely sure.

"Marcus, we've got Grapplers!" Dom yelled from the turret, swivelling to plant a hail of bullets into a careless Locust below.

Mad-dog eyes looked up and narrowed as he noticed that another grappling hook had planted itself on the side of the Assault Derrick. Marcus flicked the safety off his weapon and waited like a tiger in the bushes. Without fail, a Locust Grappler vaulted onto the deck like he owned the place. He looked around, spotted Marcus and raised his Hammerburst.

Marcus was one – or rather two – steps ahead of the Locust warrior.

The squad leader had already aimed by the time that the drone had landed on the decking. He pulled the trigger of the pistol twice and watched as two armour piercing bullets hit the drone squarely between the eyes. Marcus smirked in satisfaction as the body of the creature dropped to the decking with a loud thud. From the corner of his eye, the sergeant noticed another ashy creature scuttling across the deck like a little white crab. It turned out to be a rather shaky Anderson; her eyes very large and glassy behind her glasses. Amazingly enough, she seemed to be okay – better even. She wore an expression of confidence. It looked out of place on her face, almost as if it did not belong there. Marcus watched with some amazement as the medic kept her head down and moved forward across the deck. She was quite fast, despite the fact that she carried half her body weight in armour. The weapon slots on her back were empty, replaced with another armoured medical case from the glove compartment from the Assault Derrick.

Marcus shuffled along on his heels slightly to let the medic into cover. She barely even acknowledged him and crouched down to Carmine's level. The squad leader removed his hand and grimaced slightly. His glove was positively soaked with the younger soldier's blood. He wiped his hand on his armoured thigh and traded his pistol in for his Lancer. With Dom at the turret serving up some righteous indignation and Tai churning up holy hell with his own Lancer, Marcus felt one hundred percent confident that his squad could handle anything that came their way. Marcus looked back to the young medic crouched beside the bleeding soldier. She was leaning over him, one hand braced over his wound while the other fished about her pockets for her medical foreceps and Bio-Foam.

Without further ado, Marcus turned back to the offending battle. From his perch on top of the Rig, the soldier saw several tantalising targets through the holographic crosshair on his lancer. Two clips of ammo dispersed four while the remaining three scuttled for cover. In fact, the other Locust forces started to retreat back behind the marble statues and stone graves. Marcus looked up from behind his Lancer, a frown on his gnarled features. Where were they going? It was not like the Locust to retreat from a battle.

Just then, two grey giants lumbered into the view of Delta; both sporting a rather impressive Boom Shot each.

"Shit! Boomers! Keep your head down!" called out Marcus.

"I'm on it Marcus!" shouted back the Latino man, feeding another belt of ammunition into the Turret.

"As am I!" added the tattooed Gear. Tai ditched his shotgun and had armed himself Marcus's abandoned Mortar Launcher. The tattooed one took position right underneath the Rig's front railing. Though it gave him a good view of the immediate area, it left him exposed to the Snipers from the sides. But Tai had no fear, no reservations, nothing. He propped the Mortar launcher against the railing and had started to adjust the positioning of the launch tube when suddenly...

An ear-splitting _Boom!_ a second later struck over Marcus's head, narrowly missing the medic and Carmine by mere inches. The circular shaped explosive sailed right overhead and detonated against the opposite side of the Rig. Another Boom shot grenade arched over Delta, this one completely off by miles. Marcus had always found Boomers to be quite bizarre. Sometimes, he often wondered if Boomers were as blind as Berserkers. Boomers seemed to alternative between having Sniper-like accuracy to being as useless as a sack of potatoes. A soldier had to be quick witted and agile to avoid being splattered by one misplaced shot. He rolled out of cover of the railing, hoping to lure the fire of the Boomers while Anderson tended to Carmine.

"Boom!"

Another shot cracked overhead, most certainly aimed for Delta's leader. Marcus kept moving on his booted feet, trying to get the Locust Boomers confused. It was never very hard to begin with. To the front of the Rig, Tai aimed for the Boomers and released another rocket into the sky.

"Control, this is Delta. Where the hell are those Ravens!" he shouted over the gunfire.

"_Working on it Marcus. Our birds are all over the place," _responded the ever calm, ever firm Anya Stroud. Marcus heard the flicker of desperation in his voice and gave himself a little mental shake. The heat of the battle was getting to him much quicker than he had anticipated. Delta's leader sucked in a breath of cold, winter air; hoping to douse the frantic fire that had ignited within his heart. If he could remain as composed as the blonde operator, Marcus knew he would regain control of the situation.

"Marcus! We got more grubs coming up the side," Dom yelled out, dragging Marcus out of his mental ravine and back to the battlefield. The squad leader pivoted on his booted heel and charged like a provoked bull to the opposite side of the Rig. His Lancer loaded and ready though he was quickly running out of ammo. It always seemed to the sergeant that his Lancer bullets bounced right off the white hides of the Locust.

Four Grappling hooks were attached to the side of the Assault Derrick with a few Locust climbing up the ropes like spiders on a web. Marcus raised a booted foot and gave each one of the grappling hooks a good, solid kick; lodging them free from the steel railing. The claws flew back, coupled with an all too satisfying Locust yelp of surprise. He swivelled, blue eyes scanning the sides of the rigs for any more claws. One of them had appeared near Anderson – who was still digging around inside Carmine's open shoulder and had not noticed.

Before Marcus could make a move towards the pair, the white skinned creature vaulted over the side of the rig; the heavy _thump_ of his boots audible over the gunfire. Worse still, the Drone held a stolen Lancer in his grasp and was eager to use it. Anderson looked up and fear swiftly adorned her features. The injured gear was so doped up on morphine and pain killers that he could not even reach of his pistol. The Locust Warrior bore down on the medic and what could closely be described as a smirk pulled at his reptile-like features.

Marcus acted before his mind caught up with his body. He pulled at the lever on his Lancer and suddenly, the attached chainsaw revved to life with a loud snarl. The Drone looked up and noticed Delta's leader for the first time. "___Daemon cum _ _cyanus_ oculum_,"_ The warrior hissed, spitting the unfamiliar words out. Though Marcus could not understand them, he still felt the effect of the words. The Locust's white fingers clutched the lever on his own Lancer and gave it a swift tug, staring at Marcus all the while. The squad leader glared back, challenge and hate written clearly across his gnarled face. "Bring it!" Marcus taunted, his Lancer raised and ready.

The creature charged forward.

Marcus ran to meet him.

The two chainsaws rammed against one another, biting and spitting like two wolves locked in mortal combat. Sparks of yellow and orange flew out to the sides like waterfalls of gold rain. Marcus growled loudly and shoved his Lancer harder against the one opposite. The Locust Drone responded in kind and gave Marcus a hard shove that would have floored any other soldier. Delta's leader held his ground, the muscles beneath his armour straining as tight as a piece of elastic. The white skinned warrior glowered back at him, large black orbs like fire. In those eyes, Marcus saw a rage so pure and unadulterated that it reminded him just why he could not fail – why he could not let the Locust win.

Delta's leader gave the Locust one last, powerful shove and knocked him right back. The warrior snarled at Marcus but the soldier had acted before his enemy could regain his footing. Marcus brought his whirling and spitting chainsaw down onto the white skinned creature. Skin and blood flew up in every direction, splashing Marcus's face with long streaks of dark ruby. A roar of pain and rage escaped the Locust warrior but Marcus. The worn Lancer however was having a banquet, ripping and chewing through the Locust's flesh.

It was not until the Locust's body had split in two at his booted feet did Marcus turn off the chainsaw. The warm innards of the creature washed against his boots in a morbidly pleasing manner. With blood dripping down his face and breathing fast and harboured, the squad leader glared down at the Locust. "Did not know who he was fucking with," Marcus growled to himself from he jumped back into the raging fray as if nothing had happened. He took a protective crouch in front of Anderson and Carmine, raising his Lancer over the edge of the railing every so often to take pot-shots at the advancing Locust

"Ready Carmine?" the medic asked, her hand poised over his shoulder.

"Please...Just get it out already."

"Okay, here we go."

Then, Marcus heard _it_; the most inhuman and heart-wrenching of all screams. So alien and gruesome that it drowned out everything else. The gunfire, the screech of the Ravens overhead, the Tac/Com. Everything. Marcus knew that if he were to live for an eternity, he would never forget that howl. He was not entirely sure how long the scream lasted, only that it shook him to the bowels and rocked his foundations

After a few wild seconds, Marcus realised that it was Carmine who had been screaming.

The young medic held a bullet above his chest. The Longshot bullet gleamed in the early afternoon sunlight, sickeningly glossy with scarlet fluid. Anderson then threw it aside with such intensity. The medic then wasted no time popping off the top from the canister and shoving it deep into the gash. Mint green foam flooded into Carmine's open wound, filling the space up quick sharp.

The young gear flailed, convulsed and generally forgot all about dignity as the foam expanded and swelled inside his shoulder. The Sergeant felt for him. On more than one occasion was he subject to the painful wrath of Bio-foam. Though the polymer paste filled up his wound and accelerated cell reparations, Marcus distinctly remembered that it felt as if he had had fire ants crawling around underneath his skin. Anderson could do nothing for him except hold him down and try to offer words of encouragement. "Stay with me Carmine! Ben. You're okay. Focus on me," Anderson encouraged, sounding much unlike her usual frightened and scared self. Marcus was somewhat impressed. Perhaps there was a soldier underneath all that yellow jelly after all.

While Marcus was reloading his Lancer, two insect-like creatures dropped down from the sky; their legs flying out behind their bodies like black party streamers. Dom pivoted the turret around onto the Reavers and sent a full hundred or so rounds sailing in their general direction. Unfortunately, the Reavers had been expecting such an onslaught and simply dodged Dom's rounds.

Marcus gave his Tac/Com a jab. "Anya! We have Reavers here! We need a bombing run!"

"_Rodger that Delta. Stand by. KR-Seven Five is on route."_

As if sent by heaven to answer the prayers of the soldiers below, a Raven sliced down through the clouds. The flaps beneath the flying machine slid open. The bird slowed up as it approached the battlefield then released its load before abruptly jerking upwards into cloud cover again. Marcus watched as four or five large, Imulsion-packed bombs dropped down on top of the Reavers. What the Ravens lacked in manoeuvrability, they made up for in sheer, rare power. The Reavers and their riders just seemed to explode into black ribbons like a couple of Piñatas. Moments later, the bird flew back down and dropped another two or three bombs onto the remaining Locust forces.

"Thanks for the assist Airhead."

"_No problem Fenix. Control, this is KR-Seven Five. Reaver threat has been neutralised."_

"_Rodger that Airhead. Head over to the west side of Landown. Omega need an evacuation of a squad member."_

"_On it Control. Let's go Sharpie."_

King Raven Seven Five reared back up into the sky, disappearing into the thick layer of mist and fog as if returning back to the gods themselves. Marcus was not a religious man – far from it. Plenty of other officers and soldiers, mostly Tyran, had been dedicated to their religion – even to go as far as stamp the symbol on their armour and carry strange silver talismans that would have been more useful as a bullet than a necklace.

But now – as the squad leader looked across the smoking, smouldering battlefield - Marcus could not help but wonder if there was some truth behind it.

* * *

Ragnarok had been right.

Something had changed inside Nexus.

Maria simply been minding her own business – tending to her sore jaw – when several squads of Theron Guards astride Bloodmounts rushed through the encampment. For a frightening second, the dark haired woman thought that they were coming for _her_. Perhaps Kam'marok had gone to the "Vanir" after all. Maria tried to look as small as possible when they passed by her and thankfully, they did not seemed the least bit interested in her. Maria could hardly blame them. She would not spare herself a second glance either, not in her current condition. Even the most twisted of Locust would have steered clear from the dark haired woman. Maria caught a glance of herself on her shovel as she tossed a spadeful of black Carbon chunks into a Locust version of a wheel barrow. The woman in the shovel frowned back, looking gaunt and malnourished. Dark hair that had once been a long waterfall of black silk hung to her chin, cut unevenly and brutally with frayed ends. Her bones seemed to stick out in every direction and even her eyes appeared dull. Scars criss-crossed against her skin, leaving white edges against her naturally tanned flesh that put Maria in mind of a patchwork quilt.

Maria wondered what on earth Ragnarok saw in her.

With obvious disgust, the young woman dug the shade head into the hardened ground with more force than necessary.

She turned around to reach for her pick-axe, only to find herself staring into the large, yellowed and almost excited eyes of Ragnarok. He had appeared so suddenly and silently that it was almost as if he had just popped right out of the ground. Maria jumped back, her heart nearly exploding inside her chest from fright. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

He bowed his head, the top of his skull like polished domed marble. He wore an emerald coat that appeared to be of Gorasnaya design; the hems decorated with silver tassel trimmings that looked far too elegant to be Locust. "Munnnaki. I bring news," the drone stated. Though his English was near perfect, his Locust tongue still added an ominous hiss to his words.

Maria had to crane her neck to stare up at him. He was just a giant compared to her. "What is it? Can I go home?"

The skin where his eyebrows should have been jerked slightly. It look a few moments for Maria to realise he was staring at her with some level of amusement. She was quite stunned. Maria had not been entirely sure that the Locust were capable of humour. "No, not yet. I have met with the Kam'marok and the others. I have freed you. You shall come with me."

Green eyes blinked blankly at the white giant. "Right now?"

The Locust nodded, looking distinctly pleased with himself. "Yes. No longer will you stay here and labour. You will come with me and Hel. We shall protect you Munnnaki."

"You have got to be joking," Maria breathed, not daring to get her hopes up. On more than one occasion, they had been dashed – no, smashed, squished then pulverise by the Locust.

Ragnarok tilted his white domed head. "I am not 'funny' as you groundwalkers call it even when I try. Munnnaki, I am serious."

"But how Ragnarok? I don't think that they will just let me walk out of here," Maria stated with a slight bite to her voice that had not been heard in many weeks.

The tattooed warrior held up a hand to silence her and pulled out a scroll that looked far too pinkish to be paper. "This is your freedom," he stated. _What strange paper_ thought Maria as the Locust Drone untied the leather cord from around the scroll. It did not crack nor crumple or scrape as Ragnarok uncoiled it and when he held it up for Maria, the dark haired woman realised that the scroll was indeed made of human skin. There was no mistaking that dull, peachy gleam in the torchlight of the work camp.

Maria was horrified beyond belief.

She stepped back on her booted heel; her mouth opening and closing several times. Ragnarok looked at her questionably then looked at the skin scroll, seemingly trying to understand her shock and disgust. "Something wrong Munnnaki?"

The dark haired woman swallowed and tried twice to speak. And twice, she found that she could not.

Ragnarok looked at the scroll again then, something must have twigged inside his head. "I am sorry. I did not think. I was foolish." Had Maria not been so sickened, she might have marvelled at the fact that a Locust had just apologised to a human. He seemed to notice her hesitation for his shoulders suddenly sagged, his mannerisms human. The disappointment in his eyes was certainly real. "You are not pleased Munnnaki?"

Maria was still. She knew she should have been jumping for joy, soaring sky high. She had pinned so many hopes on the Locust Drone that he was practically a pincushion. Never once did she stop and ask herself why. Why exactly did was he willing to go to the ends of the earth of her? This...murderer. It did not make any remote sense and the more Maria thought about it, the more it confused her. One thousand and one different emotions tugged at Maria's frayed soul, weathering down whatever strength she still possessed.

The dark haired woman shook her head, pushing her queries and fears to the back of her mind. It was just better – and safer – that way for all of them. "Of course I am, I'm just a little taken back. It seems almost too good to be true that's all."

"I would not lie to you Munnnaki." Ragnarok held out a large white hand. Maria stared for a moment, wondering just how much human blood had stained his digits – how many of her own kind had died by his hand.

She also wondered why exactly she reached forward and coiled her hand into his. "But why Ragnarok? Why me?"

The Locust Drone made a hushing motion by pressing one clawed finger to his mouth. "Hush, we must not talk of that here."

Maria suppressed a sigh. She was all too familiar with that rule.

She dropped the pick axe to the ground and dusted off what remained of her skirt with her spare hand – trying to make herself look somewhat presentable. Ragnarok waited patiently for Maria to finish the charade before moving forward. Slowly and carefully, Ragnarok lead her through the work camp. The other human captives stared with a mixture of curiosity, fear and even anger. The crack of a Locust whip forced their eyes to the ground again but she still felt their glares. Maria could hardly blame them for it must have looked rather strange for a human to be walking hand in hand with Locust. She thought to Dom, caring, gentle Dom and never before had she needed him or his strength more.

Maria had never seen the inside of Nexus nor had she wanted to. She had heard stories about it from the other captives but never had she imagined that she would end up experiencing it in the flesh. Nexus was massive, bigger than she had originally anticipated. Maria stared around in complete astonishment. From what Maria could gather, Locust lived below the main surface of the city; with the Queen of Locusts in the deepest chambers while the lesser Drone's lived closer to the main city's surface in flat-like structures that were connected by tunnels and elevator. The Locust underworld was built of mostly great stone, graphite and Imulsion structures. The city stretched out for miles under Sera's surface with many smaller Locust villages built in other hollows around Nexus. Metals had been forged from the deposits in the ground (Picked out by human slaves of course) A limitless supply of Imulsion powered their homes, siphoned off from the lake of gold from below the city. The hive of Locust worked together as one. Ragnarok had explained that each Locust were assigned a job for life. Some built, some taught but most fought. Various Stalls had been set up in open street squares, the smell of meat sizzling and fresh herbs hung in the air above. Locust chattered amongst themselves. Therons patrolled the streets, keeping a watchful eye on the Locust offspring that were roaming in little gangs.

The sight was nothing short of amazing. What stunned Maria most as she and Ragnarok made their way through the Locust city was the sheer number of humans that lived there as well. There were simply hundreds of them within Nexus. She noticed that nearly three quarters of the human population were children while adults made up a small fraction. The adults were kept under lock-and-key by the Locust, used mostly as slaves. The children however were a completely different story. Maria watched with complete amazement and shock as another Locust Drone walked on by her and Ragnarok with a human child by his side. He hissed a traditional Locust greeting at Ragnarok before continuing to converse with the human child as if it were his own. Maria stopped and stared until her vision had become blurry. How strange were these Locust – that they slaughtered her children but spared this one? Her heart flared and the longing she had always felt increased tenfold. _No, they are gone. You know that. It took months in captivity for you to realise that._ She reached up and wiped her eyes free. Ragnarok looked to her for a moment then placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her forward through the maze of corridors and tunnels. Ragnarok pointed out notable structures and gave her explanations if necessary.

"Ragnarok, what is that?" Maria pointed to a heavily guarded and very elaborate elevator in the very center of Nexus. Even from a distance, Maria could see the jewels and decorations glimmering under the Imulsion powered lights. The Locust Drone looked in the direction she was gesturing to.

The drone looked to her and a flicker of fear crossed his Locust features. "That is the elevator to the Queens chambers. You must never go there Munnnaki. Promise me on your honour that you will never go there."

Maria nodded, deciding it was in her best interests to heed his warnings.

After nearly thirty minutes and just as many elevators, Ragnarok came to an abrupt halt and Maria stumbled behind. Wordlessly, the Locust Drone raised a hand and placed it on a flat stone panel roughly thirty centimetres in diameter. A door slid open with a rumbling crunch and light suddenly bathed the darkened corridor. Maria blinked and hid behind Ragnarok, her only ally in the strange Locust underworld. The Drone stepped forward and Maria could do nothing else but follow.

The first thing that Maria noticed about his quarters was the fact that it was very dark but blessedly warm and smelled of some kind of unknown herb. Hammerbursts, boots and pistols were piled on a nearby rack nearly the foot of the slab-like door. A few torches were amounted upon the stone walls, catching the grooves and curves of the carved designs along the border. Ragnarok prodded her further into the darkened flat.

In the lobby of the Ragnarok's quarters stood another Locust. This one however was quite different to anything Maria had seen. It was the most striking creature she had ever laid her eyes upon. This new Locust was one of the first females that she seen so far. Maria had first thought Locust were an entirely male species but judging from the stunning creature standing before her, Maria had been dead wrong. The creature was tall – taller than Maria at the very least – but stood an inch shorter than her mate. Unlike Ragnarok's dappled grey skin, the new Locust was a snowy white all over that reminded Maria of the lotus flowers that used to bloom in her garden pond. Her features were of that a Locust Drone, but much softer, refined and less angular. Large eyes blinked back at Maria, rimmed black which made for a startling contrast against her white skin. A tailored and fitting Locust tunic adorned her frame, decorated with silver clan markings that shimmered in the gentle torchlight. Several gold bracelets were attached to both wrists, all of the of human design.

Maria was busy wondering who exactly those bracelets belong to when the Locust female took a step forward.

Instinctively, the human female stepped backwards and bumped into Ragnarok. The male Locust placed a large, white hand on Maria's shoulder. "Hel will not hurt you Munnnaki."

Hel nodded Maria. "I am very pleased to meet you. Ragnarok has told me much of you."

Maria could not manage to muster one sentence in response. She had only known him for a few days. For a frightening second, the dark haired human wished she were back at the work camps. At least she had gotten used to the routine, she had known what as to come. She had felt brave and clever and alert but the new changes had thrown her completely. Perhaps she should not have been so eager to take his hand in the first place. Hel straightened up her stare onto Ragnarok and nodded slightly. The male Drone returned the gesture and much to Maria's complete horror, Ragnarok retreated out of what Maria supposed was the living room. She wanted to run after him. She did not want to be left alone with this Locust stranger.

Hel appeared unfazed by Maria's desperate look and took another step forward, closing the distance between them. "Come, you must be hungry."

As if on cue, the Santiago's stomach rumbled loudly. Maria looked down, furious with her gut. Now she could not even pretend that she wasn't and spare herself any unpleasantries. The female Locust gestured Maria to follow and the human had no choice but to obey. She followed Hel down the corridor, eyes and fingers tracing every pattern and design she came across. Who would have thought that the Locust were so very elegant in their dwellings?

She could not wait to tell Dom what she had discovered.

Hel lead the human into what Maria supposed was a kitchen though it was quite unlike the one Maria had back in her own house. There was an open fire, spitting away gently. An elegant, wooden Locust table was situated in the center of the kitchen, taking up most of the room. Bunches of dried herbs of unknown origin hung over the oven. The cooking range – if it could have been called that – was really only a hollowed, super heated boulder with a large cooking pot placed inside. The lid was off and Maria could see a mixture of what she assumed was gravy, meat and a strange red plant that she was fairly sure she had seen before. Maria's stomach rumbled again, louder this time. She had forgotten the last time she had eaten proper food. Hel motioned for her to sit on one of the carved wooden chairs by the table then started to spoon out her stew into a grey marble bowl. Maria sat and trembled in a mad mixture of fear, excitement and dread.

When the Locust female placed a bowl and spoon in front of Maria, the human had to clench her hands together to prevent herself from grabbing the bowl and wolfing it down in one go. "Munnnaki should eat. Regain her strength," the Locust female said and took a seat opposite Maria.

"I'm not hungry thank you."

Another groan from Maria's stomach contradicted her statement.

Hel gave her what Maria supposed was a smile. It looked more like a sneer to the Santiago woman but at least the Locust was trying. "I know that you are hungry Munnnaki. There is no shame nor dishonour in filling your belly." Hel spoke softly, as if she were talking to a child. For a moment, that was exactly how Maria felt and before she could stop herself, her hands had moved of their accord and grasped the bowl. She wolfed down the stew, her stomach making happy little growls every few seconds. After months of eating Locust rations, Maria had never tasted anything so wonderful. When she was finished, Hel filled her another bowl and the eating commenced once again.

Once Maria had taken in her fill, she leaned back in the chair and rested her hands against her full belly. For the first time in months, Maria felt warm, safe and full. The Locust female watched her the entire time with interest, seemingly mentally noting down everything Maria did. "Did you enjoy that?" she asked, her Locust dialect hissing slightly.

Maria nodded.

Hel looked pleased with herself. Well, as pleased as a Locust could look without disembowelling a human. "I am glad Munnnaki. I had collected some information about human cuisine before you came."

The dark haired woman stared at the gentle and almost docile Locust with surprise. "Hel?"

"Yes Munnnaki?"

Maria pulled a face. Despite the array of Locust dialect she possessed, she could not piece together what her Locust name actually meant. "What does 'Munnnaki' mean anyway?"

The Locust female looked away for the first time since Maria had entered her home, seemingly embarrassed. "Munnnaki means...'Foolhardy Female'" Hel replied.

"Oh," was all Maria could manage. The rage and hate boiled up to the surface. Each time the Locust had said her name, it had been meant as a slap to the face. She was silent for a few moment, unsure what to say or what to do next. Really, what could she do? She was alone deep inside Nexus with a Locust family for gods only knew why. She looked up through a messy fringe of dark hair and stared directly at Hel. "Why am I here Hel? Tell me honestly."

The Locust drone released a sigh and laced her large, lily white hands together. Something about her Locust facial features had changed and for a fraction of a second, Hel looked almost human. "I had hoped that Ragnarok...could have been here to explain. It seems that I must bring light to the situation." Hel took her gaze whole. "I will tell you Munnnaki. But you must speak not to no one of this. If the queen were to find out, even the heavens above would tremble in fear of her wrath."

Maria's battered and bruised heart came to a standstill inside her chest. She could not even begin to fathom a sentence in her mind, much less speak it. Hel took her silence in her step and carried on with her explanation. The Locust female looked her straight in the eyes and answered without fear nor hesitation.

"We are what they call Lambent Munnnaki. And we need your help."

* * *

**EDTIED: Tweaking dialogue and changing plot slightly so it can kinda fit in with Gears of War 3**

Well there we go. Another chapter done and dusted. I know that this chapter didn't really focus on Jen really, mostly on Maria. I kinda wanted to get across the fact that while Delta are fighting battles on the surface, Maria is going through her own challenges and such in Nexus. I know the Queen says that Delta were the first humans to "desecrate this place," but you could assume that Delta were the first humans to step foot in the Queens place, not Nexus itself. Forgive my lack of creativity for describing Nexus. I had no idea where how to describe it D: *shot*  


**Man, the battle on Landown was really hard to do. I rewrote that thing like four times and I'm still not happy with it! I was gonna put more in, have the Grindlifts go down with this chapter but I wanted to focus on Maria more on this one since she won't be in the next chapter. **

**Sorry Carmine fans, I had to make him get shot since I needed Jen to finally have a reason to fight, give her a reason to be brave. **

**"**_****____Daemon cum _ _cyanus_ oculum"** is Latin and means something like "Demon with blue eyes". I can't be sure though since it is difficult to translate direct sentences since some English words don't exist in Latin. Still, I want to have Marcus viewed as a demon or something to the Locust (just like the Master Chief to the Covenant)**


	5. V: He That Believeth in Me

**Holy crap. Has it really been so long since I've updated anything really? I owe you guys such a massive apology for leaving you all hanging for so long. I just couldn't seem to write anything decent. It was really frustrating!  
**

**On the lighter note, I was so overwhelmed at just how much decent feedback and reviews I got for Crimson Cross. I'm so glad that people like Jennifer and enjoy what I'm doing with the Locust. Jennifer took ages to construct properly cos I wanted something different for my Gear girl and I felt like it was a big leap of faith to try and do something with the Locust and Lambent.**

**Big thank you to all who have read, added to favourites and even alerted. It brings me such joy. Super thanks to the following for reviewing: **_**soldier134, **__**Ryssa1457**__**, aaa, alexa0537, **__**Scrambled Eggz**__**, **__**Blackler823**__**, **__**Sarazz Prime**__** (You have an awesome pen name), **__**necaberint**__**, **__**Pandaren-storyteller**__** (Such a lovely review), **__**SwitchBlader458**__**, **__**, Freco, **__**PlainAndSimple**__**, **__**randomchick818**__**, **__**randomchick818**__**, **__**ExcusingTheSlightAnachronism**__**, **__**Th3 H3r3tic**__** ("Snarling troglodyte." I played The Pitt in Fallout 3 and actually found one. I loled so much) **__**RedArm Beatle**__**, **__**The Villain**__**, **__**Blades252**__** and **__**911**_

**Super special hugs and love to Jord for checking up on me while I was in Limbo land, JeanDaBean for his fantastic portrayal of William Anderson in "A Time to Remember" Along with Omalley Flowers and Starscream642 for the support. You guys are great.**

**Thank you as always ****to Judge Magister Fermus for listening to me talk about this fic and letting me bounce ideas off him. Without him, it would never exist. Forever grateful bro.**  


* * *

**Gears of War 2: **Crimson Cross

**Chapter Five: **He That Believeth in Me

**"And she's here to write her name  
On my skin with kisses in the rain  
Hold my head and ease my pain  
In a world that's gone insane..."  
-**Poets of the Fall**, "Someone Special"  
**

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 14:30  
**Current Location**: Landown

It was a null in the Landown battle that allowed the COG forces to re-group and transport their wounded off of the battlefield. The Locust assault had ceased completely – a worrying omen since the Locust were not known to simply give up a battle. They usually threw waves upon waves of drones at COG soldiers and overwhelmed the humans with sheer numbers rather than skill. It was a fifteen year old fact.

Still, whatever the reason for the stem in the tides, the COG army did what little they could. Ravens buzzed and hovered above the bloodstained gravelly ground below. The battlefield was scattered with lifeless bodies that looked like dolls. It were as if an angry child had thrown a temper tantrum and tossed his toys about. The scent of blood – that metallic, coppery taste hung heavily in the air above. Truly enough blood had been split for the collective smell to pollute the oxygen.

Jennifer Anderson sat on the decking of the Grindlift next to a rather frustrated Ben Carmine with one of his sleeves rolled up. An intravenous stuck out of his arm, the thin tube attached to a blood bag. Jennifer checked the bag. There was less than a quarter left and she needed Carmine to sit still until it was finished completely.

Apparently, Carmine wasn't entirely happy with the arrangment.

"Sit your ass down Rook," Sergeant Fenix stated. The rookie Gear had attempted to heave himself back onto unsteady legs – something that Delta squad found admirable. Marcus Fenix - their steadfast, take-no-shit leader - had to physically force Carmine back onto his rump. Even injured, the Rook was not one to sit still and fidgeted as if he had ants crawling around inside his COG armour. He ignored the large bottle of water Jennifer had instructed him to drink to combat dehydration, insisting that he didn't need it.

"Sarge, I'm fine," Carmine whined out from underneath his helmet, trying to struggle up from the deck plating. Jennifer held up the blood bag to prevent the rookie from pulling out the intravenous tubing.

Sergeant Fenix gave the young soldier a frown while he picked out some more ammo from a crate that had been dropped down by a passing King Raven. "You got shot in the shoulder Rook. Take five minutes to have a rest before we push on down into the Hollow."

"I feel fine Sergeant. Really!" Broad shoulders rolled just to prove a point but both Jennifer and the squad leader saw his slight wince and the clenching of his fists.

He wasn't fooling anyone.

Jennifer looked at him and felt a small smile pull at her lips. Oh how she admired and coveted his enthusiasm that he seemed to find so effortlessly. He took it in as easily as oxygen. Jennifer suppressed a sigh in her chest, wishing desperately that she had that aspect to her personality.

"Just sit still for five seconds kid and drink your damn water. That's an order," The sergeant commanded – wielding respect and rank as easily as he would wield his Lancer – and ended the little dispute for good. Carmine let out a grumble and collapsed back onto the decking of the Assault Derrick with the force of a miniature earthquake. Sergeant Fenix – apparently satisfied that Carmine was not about to try and get back onto his feet – turned and left to overseer the final preparations of the two Grindlifts with Dom, effectively leaving the Privates alone.

Carmine turned to face her, his visor seemingly brighter than usual and Jennifer felt odd under such intense attention. It was not a bad feeling, just strange. "Thanks for saving my ass back there Anderson."

Jennifer stared – her little mouth doing a perfect impersonation of a gold fish. It was not often that anyone thanked her for something.

It just didn't seem to happen.

Ever.

Her cheeks chose that moment to heat up for the entire world to admire. They were hot that she could have fried an egg on her face. She pushed her glasses up her nose to distract herself – and possibly the young soldier – from the burning of her cheeks. "I..I guess we're even now. You saved me before Carmine. With the Reaver. You were really brave."

Nothing could have prepared the little medic for what Carmine said next.

"Well, it can't hurt to have a cute girl say that," he stated cheerfully.

It was the first real compliment anyone had ever given her. The medic felt her heart dance right up her throat and for a moment, she was grateful that she was sitting down for Jennifer was sure that her legs would have collapsed beneath her in complete and total shock. "Cute" was just not an adjective that had ever been used to describe her. For it to come from someone who could have been called a stranger was startling.

Her list of personal oddities seemed to grow at an amazing rate.

Dark navy eyes glanced towards the collection of Gears a few feet off from them. The squad appeared to be too caught up in the preparations of the Grindlifts and for that, Jennifer was thankful. "I-I'm not cute. N-not really," she stammered out, cheeks as red as the rubies that were nothing more than pictures now.

"You are and don't let anyone tell you different." Carmine looked down and started to fiddle with one of the pockets on his utility belt. Jennifer blinked curiously as he dug about the little compartment, seemingly looking for something. "Hey Anderson, I think you should have -" The young gear was cut off when Sergeant Fenix turned from the Grindlifts and approached the pair of crouched Privates.

"Right, we're almost ready. Get saddled up Delta." Sergeant Fenix ordered gruffly though his tone did not match his facial expression. He seemed almost amused by Carmine's playful and friendly antics, even more so by the scarlet medic that sat beside him.

"What...what should I do S-sergeant?" Jennifer asked, unable to mask her trembling fear. She distracted herself by gently removing the intravenous from Carmine's arm. Even whilst he looked amused, Marcus Fenix was still a terrifying giant in her navy coloured eyes. She wanted to swallow her own tongue every time he looked at her when she spoke. She just could not help it. There was just something about him that made her tremble in her borrowed, over-sized boots.

The Sergeant gave her a hard glance and she cringed back slightly. It was a force of habit that had formed from due to sharp reprimands that the medic had often received from her father. He still hovered over Jennifer, even from the grave.

"Nothing Anderson."

Navy blue eyes widened behind thick lenses. "Nothing?"

Fenix sighed. "Nothing," he repeated. "You're staying up here until we're established down there."

Jennifer could have died with relief and tried her best not betray the intense release that swelled inside her chest. Sergeant Fenix would not have tolerated it. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah. Don't know what we're going to find down there. Best you stay up here during the first wave."

"You will call me down if you need me Sergeant?"

"You can bet on it," replied her commanding officer before he shifted his blue eyed gaze onto rook. "You okay for going down Carmine?"

Carmine picked up his Lancer and leapt to his booted feet with his usual amount of excitement and exuberance, despite the wound in his shoulder. "Yes Sarge!"

Sergeant Fenix cracked a smile, a genuine one that softened his entire features and made him look years younger. Carmine's good spirits and jubilance just seemed to have that effect on them all. Even the grizzled Sergeant. "Right Delta, into the Grindlifts, two by two," he barked out at his squad. Jennifer got onto her feet but hung back from the rest of the group. She despised Grindlifts. She had only ever stepped inside a simulator for them but even then she had hated it. They always made her feel awful and the anti-sickness meds were about as much use as paper armour in a firefight. Jennifer peered at them through inch thick lenses, dreading her turn. They were large but barely big enough to fit two Gears inside. It was like the Elephant in the Tutu analogy.

The thought brought a smile to her face.

Jennifer watched the Latino man pulled his commanding officer aside for a moment. A flurry of different emotions whirled across Dom's face. His open honestly with his feelings was why Jennifer liked him. He didn't hid anything and made no apologies for it.

"Yo Marcus?"

"Yeah?"

Dom's throat jerked into a swallow before he continued: "Promise me that if something happens to me...You'll look for Maria." His tone was as hard as steel – determined and unwilling to take no for an answer

A ripple of surprise disturbed the scowl the scarred man had been wearing. For a moment, Jennifer thought that he might try and refuse Dom right then and there. Did Gears not have enough to do without chasing missing personnel? Then the brows furrowed and he answered without a note of hesitation. "You got it Dom, no problem." Icy blue resolve glimmered out at the Latino man and Jennifer felt puzzled. What a strange fellow this Marcus Fenix was, that he would uphold that promise should Dom perish. She watched them and wondered briefly what history they shared, what had made them such strong friends. Envy hit the medic squarely in the face. It was the kind of friendship that Jennifer longed and wished for.

Jennifer sighed and turned her attention to Carmine and Tai – who were preparing to get into their own Grindlift. The rookie Gear looked up and met her stare, clenched one heavily gloved hand then came back over to her.

"Is something wrong Carmine?" Jennifer asked the young soldier. Her stomach felt as if she had swallowed a mouthful of butterflies.

Carmine glanced over his armoured shoulder – as if he were worried that someone was watching – then extended his clenched hand. "Anderson, I think you should have this." He loosened his fingers and resting happily on his palm was the Longshot bullet that Jennifer had pulled from a network of muscles and tendons. The medic was speechless. She had thrown the bullet away. Jennifer knew that fact as well as she knew her own name. Blue eyes stared out at the bullet through chunky lenses. There was no mistaking it. It was the same bullet. It had the same Locust markings and was still speckled with coppery blood stains. The reason as to why he would keep something that had caused him so much pain eluded the little medic and all she could do was stare at him with disbelief. "C-Carmine, I couldn't take that," she spluttered.

"Sure you can."

Jennifer both felt and looked stricken. "But Carmine, that bullet could have killed you."

Before she could utter another protest, the rookie soldier reached out and grasped her hand then placed the bullet squarely in her palm. Jennifer felt the heat from the hands again and struggled to fight against the flush that ran up her neck.

"Uh yeah, but it didn't. Thanks to you. Keep it to remind you when you feel down and doubt yourself."

The medic stared at him and felt her reluctance melt away. Fingers clenched around the Longshot bullet, brushing very slightly against his. The rookie gear then gave Jennifer's hand a light, reassuring squeeze. It was nothing more than a whisper, as if a ghost had skimmed her but Jennifer's heart skipped a beat regardless. She stared at him and could easily picture the happy little smile that seemed to grin out at her through his helmet.

"CARMINE! Get moving! We don't have all fucking day!" Sergeant Fenix shouted across the deck, looking thoroughly displeased. He wore that look often whenever Jennifer was remotely involved it seemed. The tattooed Gear Tai both looked onto the young pair with deep curiosity whilst Dom had an impish grin adorning his face. Jennifer wished they would not stare so. They made her feel as if she had suddenly grown two heads.

Carmine gestured his thumb backwards towards the glowering Sergeant who seemed to resemble a boiling, angry kettle. "I should go before the Sarge has another seizure."

Jennifer couldn't suppress a laugh and she followed Carmine over to his Grindlift. The helmeted Gear squeezed into the pod and went through all the usual procedures and protocols while Tai adjusted the straps to make sure the fitted around the Rookie's bulky form comfortably; fussing over him like a mother hen. Jennifer's gut tightened as Tai clipped in the last of the straps and the rookie gave him a thumbs up. A part of her knew that Carmine might not come back and suddenly, she would have liked to be going down with him.

And fate was very quick that day.

They felt the vibrations in the ground before anything else.

Before the scream, before the erupting gunfire, before anything else.

The pulses travelled up Jennifer's armoured legs and nearly toppled the young medic to the ground. A large hand reached out and Tai steadied her trembling form. It was as if several thousand E-holes had opened up beneath their Rig. Jennifer clung to the railing of the Assault Derrick for dear life – it was all she could do to stop herself from falling over completely. Frightened navy eyes looked to Delta squad frantically for an answer. The Sergeant and Dom were already in their Grindlifts but they too felt the vibrations in the ground.

Then something monstrous descended upon the battlefield. Something that tipped – or rather capsized – the scales. It exploded out of the ground with the speed of a small rocket, several new waves of the Locust horde spilling out after it like blight upon the earth. The unknown Locust crouched low to the bloodstain gravel and screeched at the remainder human army. It was a blast of sound that was so fierce and so huge that Jennifer thought her eardrums might pop from the force his roar. She felt as if someone had stabbed the side of her head with a knife. Through her pain, the medic looked up and saw as the Locust leapt onto a centaur tank and managed to split the vehicle clean in two with his staff-like weapon. The tank detonated with a great burp of smoke and fire seconds after the Locust had pounced from its roof.

The ravens scattered overhead. _"Holy shit! Where did that come from?"_ buzzed the Tac/Com in Jennifer's ear. She had completely forgotten she was wearing one.

"_Scramble the alert Ravens! Airhead, cover those Medivacs!"_

"_Roger that!"_

Suddenly, the Locust was on Delta's deck. It was as if the unknown creature was looking for Sergeant Fenix's squad. The beast moved so quickly that it could have easily been invisible to the COG soldiers. The Locust directly looked at her and hissed again, raising the staff-like weapon that appeared to be a double ended chainsaw upon closer inspection. He was truly what nightmares were made of – all white muscle, rows of sharp teeth and spiked Locust armour. A helmet adorned the Locust's head that had several straps of leather attached to the base that whipped through the air when he moved. Jennifer heard Dom shout out something but cold concrete filled her legs; rooting the young female to the spot. Her brain shrieked at her to move, to get a weapon out to defend herself but her body locked up again. She was on the deck with a terrifying creature that was probably seconds away from reducing her to shreds.

"I'll hold 'em off boys! You get your asses down there!" The bearded driver had appeared on the upper decking of the Assault Derrick, Lancer clutched in his large hands. The Locust turned its attention from the little medic to the Dizzy and hissed at the intrusion, seemingly enraged at the older Gear's rude interruption. Dizzy held his ground and pivoted around the Locust, circling his adversary with a raised Lancer. The creature had the grace of a ballet dancer and all the deadliness of a Berserker rolled into a seven foot tall package.

"Marcus! Shouldn't we try to? –"

"Ah fuck!"

Then a hand extended out and clasped around the back of Jennifer's white chest plate then proceeded to throw the little medic backwards none-too-gently against the second Grindlift. Tai Kaliso - a stunning vision of honour, bravery and strength - pushed Jennifer into the Grindlift that housed Carmine – who had been struggling to get free of his restraints to help. The warrior then forcibly slammed the pod door shut, sealing a terrified Jennifer inside with the image of his brutal duel against the creature burned into her memory.

Inside the Grindlift, Carmine did not even get a chance to speak when the Grindlift jolted abruptly and the pair felt the pod-like construction shift upwards as the engine engaged. The two rookies looked to one another and heard each other's gulp. Jennifer reached and tried to pull on her restraints but found that the harness had seized up. The floor beneath her feet started shudder and a rumble hit her skull that was so loud it drowned out the medic's hammering heart. The colour drained from her face as she knew what was to come and without a harness, she knew she would not survive.

Gravity would see her dead first.

Carmine suddenly reached out and forced the restraints down around the little medic. He was much stronger than Jennifer and shoved down the stubborn harness down before the Grindlift spurred to life and begun the descent down into the earth. Gravity slammed against the pair, the force knocking both the wind and glasses from Jennifer. Her vision blurred suddenly and the tears formed at her eyes as the Grindlift propelled itself through the soil and dirt in a sheath of flame and heat. The medic clenched her eyes shut as nausea bucked and reared in her stomach like a wild horse. It worsened with each passing second to the point where she feared that breathing would have caused her to vomit. All she could do was hold onto the harness and pray for the ride to end.

The Grindlift suddenly jerked to one side in a sickening manner, catching the pair by surprise. Jennifer's head smacked down against the harness from the force of the jolt. Pain forced her eyes open, her nose and forehead throbbing. The Grindlift had been tipped on its side, judging from the way the pair of rookies were angled. The lights above the Grindlift's inner control panel started to flash an angry red in warning. They were blurry to Jennifer's glasses-less state but she knew that it meant trouble. Carmine reached out and tried to make an emergency course correction, only to find that the controls had locked up. "Shit. Shit. Shit," swore the rookie Gear, each curse coupled with the pound of his boot against the malfunctioning controls. The Grindlift lurched a second time and Jennifer's head slammed against the harnessing again.

Jennifer had always wanted to see stars and she finally got her wish. Black dots and swirls exploded across her blurry vision and she tasted the blood upon her tongue. Carmine yelled something at her but she could hear him and she could understand him: but for all that was humane, she could not comprehend what he was telling her. To Jennifer, he was merely a circus act; something to keep her occupied, and apparently something to keep her from falling asleep (which was beginning sound _very_ nice to her at that present point in time).

It was only then did she realise what was happening and struggled to stay awake. "Anderson! Anderson! Can you hear me? Oh no! Don't nod off now."

She could hear Carmine but the thought of abiding to his request just did not seem to compute through her brain.

Just when she finally thought she might succumb to sleep, the Grindlift came to a crunching halt. Stillness overtook the Grindlift, the same stillness that often came after Jennifer had survived something incredibly dangerous. Through her murky and jelly-like vision, Jennifer watched as Carmine flicked on the outer cameras and scanned the outside world for Locust presence.

Apparently satisfied that it was safe to venture out, Carmine gave a little nod. "Right, let's get out of there." He gave the emergency escape button a kick and the doors exploded open with a rush of cold air. It hit Jennifer squarely in the face and helped her mind regain some level of focus. The rookie meanwhile moved to unclip his restraints then helped Jennifer with her own. He even returned the glasses gently to their rightful place upon her nose and Jennifer could not help but marvel at the fact that the lenses hadn't smashed.

Together, they stumbled out of the Grindlift and collapsed into a trembling heap; Jennifer perched up straddling a startled Carmine in an almost compromising position. Jennifer stared down at the helmeted gear, her cheeks dusted red. Her palms rested up his chest plate and for a moment, Jennifer was sure she could feel his heart beating. His helmeted visor was close – so close that she could see nothing but his teal glow and feel nothing but his heat. The rookie's body felt comfortable beneath her and she felt him shift beneath her, as if he were trying to get more comfortable. The thought of it sent a tingle down her spine.

It was then that Jennifer remembered who she was and exactly where she was. She shuffled off him quickly and allowed the rookie to get up. "Oh...uhm...Sorry about that." He rubbed the back of his exposed neck the typical nervous, Carmine fashion that Jennifer found so heart-warmingly endearing.

Her heart quivered gently beneath her chest. "It's okay." It had not felt bad; it had felt wonderful. Blood raced inside her veins, practically singing out his name. The giddiness made her smile. She felt like a teenager with a crush. Shocked with herself, Jennifer gave a little shake; mentally reminding herself that Carmine was squad mate and that they were in the middle of a war and that Sergeant Fenix would not approve.

The rookie gear, meanwhile, gazed around their surroundings; open mouthed disbelief more than certainly adorning his helmeted face. Jennifer felt very much the same. It made her head spin more so by just looking at it. She sat up and tried to ignore the rush of vertigo that slammed into her small skull. She felt her head in her hands and took deep, calming breaths as she tried to recall proper post-Grindlift procedure. It was all just a messy blur. Her stomach lurched and the medic felt a wave of sickness that would have emptied her stomach had she eaten that morning.

Meanwhile, Carmine stood off to the left of the little medic and had been tapping his Tac/Com for a good couple of minutes. "Sarge? Sarge? Can you hear me? Shit. I can't hear anything. Maybe my helmet is busted."

Jennifer tapped her own and only heard the crackling of empty static.

"I wonder if any other Grindlifts have dropped down. We should probably try and find the Sarge." Carmine gestured off towards the darkness with the nose of his Longshot. Jennifer gulped and could only imagine what lurked in those shadows. It was surely nothing pleasant. She did not want to go on any further into the darkness.

"We'll be okay Anderson. We'll get through this," Carmine said as if he could read her mind.

The medic looked to the rookie gear then fell into place him, armed with a Shotgun she had no idea how to use properly. The sight of him walking next to her – armed and loaded - was enough to give Jennifer a much needed surge of courage.

Maybe he was right. Maybe they would get through the Hollow.

After all, stranger things had happened.

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 15:00  
**Current Location**: Locust Hollow, 300 metres below surface.

Marcus Fenix felt like nothing more than a walking pile of bruises and bumps. Every inch of his body seemed to ache from the joyride down in the Grindlift. He all but ripped the harness from his chest and stumbled out from the small pod with his companion close behind. His head throbbed as if a Berserker had taken a hammer to it and for a few moments, Marcus could barely take a step forward without stumbling. Blue eyes blinked out the tears that had appeared during the flight down and he leaned against the Grindlift pod while he waited for the world to stop spinning.

Dom was off to his left on his knees, probably feeling just as bad as Marcus himself did. Marcus thought of the Anti-sickness medicine that Anderson had given him before they jumped. She had assured him that they would work. He winced as another spear of pain hit between his temples and the Sergeant made a mental note to go back to Jacinto and knock some heads together in administration when he was done in the Hollow.

"You...You alright Dom?" the Sergeant asked through deep, calming breaths. His heart was returning to a more regular rhythm which he supposed was a good sign.

His companion threw him a filthy look, his face unusually pale under his natural tan. "Do you think I'm alright?" Dom snapped.

"Excuse me for asking," Marcus grumbled before shifting his stony gaze onto the marvel that was the Locust Hollow. The sight of it took his breath away. It was nothing that he had imagined it to be. Marcus had mentally prepared and coached himself for something that resembled the gates of Hell, perhaps with a couple of Imulsion pits here and there. Instead, it was a natural marvel that he had not anticipated. Rocks and white granite arched and twisted into strange, almost artistic structures that glittered in an oddly pleasing manner. The air was fresh and possessed a scent that put Marcus in mind of wet soil, a stark contrast to the blood soaked air that he had been breathing in above the surface. Every so often, Marcus felt the gentle buffet of a gust of wind from some unknown location. It was not as dark as the Sergeant had imagined it either and everything seemed to glow a dull, tealish blue.

It was truly a stunning sight.

Dom finally managed to get onto his unsteady feet. "Man...if Cole used to puke on a Raven, he must be taggin' the walls with chuke right now." The Latino man looked around and gave a low whistle of appreciation. "Damn, so this is what the Inner Hollow looks like."

His companion simply grunted and tapped the Tac/Com mounted on his eardrum. "Tai, this is Marcus. Do you read me? Tai? Dizzy? Dizzy you there? Ah shit!" Marcus gave the device another gentle press to switch the frequency channel. "Control, this is Delta. Do you read?"

Five still seconds passed before someone eventually managed to answer Delta's hails. The squeezing in the leader's gut suddenly slackened and he ceased his nervous pacing. The thought of traipsing through the Locust Hollow without any form of communication did not sit well with him. _"Delta, this is Alpha one. We've lost contact with the surface. We're limited to short range communications but we've got a line on a Seeder."_

The Sergeant nodded. "Rodger that Alpha one. Good Hunting."

The line went quiet for a few minutes then cracked to life again. Marcus snorted to himself. He was a popular sort today. _"Sarge? Can you hear me?"_ the Rook's buzzed in. The trembling in his voice was audible even through the sub-standard quality of the radio line. Relief washed over Delta's leader. At least Carmine had survived the drop down. Marcus had heard far too many horror stories about Grindlifts going completely off course and burrowing straight into a lava hot Imulsion pocket. "Carmine, what's your position?"

More crackling. More buzzing. Voices talking way off in the radio's distance. Marcus strained his ears, trying to listen for Carmine. It sounded as if the rookie was conversing with someone else. Perhaps Tai or Dizzy had come down with him. _"Not really sure Sarge. I think my lift went off course."_

"Is Tai with you?" Marcus dared to ask.

"_No Sarge, he jumped out before launch. Anderson is with me though."_

The sergeant could not believe his ears. "Anderson?" he repeated. Marcus hoped that he was just going deaf in his old age.

"_Yeah_,_ Tai shoved her in when that screaming Locust thing showed up. We can see another lift up ahead so we're going to head up that way."_

Marcus inwardly groaned and ran a gloved palm over his gnarled face. Anderson was not supposed to be down in the Hollow. The girl could not be trusted on her own. True Anderson had gotten _marginally_ better since the start of the mission but she was nowhere nearskilled enough to survive the mission. Every time the medic did something remotely competent, she would swiftly screw up moments later. Marcus always got the distinct impression that Anderson had been wired to expect herself fail.

The sergeant gave a sigh. "Alright then, head that way and we'll catch up. Don't engage the enemy, just defend your position," Marcus ordered down to the pair of Privates.

"_Wilco Sergeant. Wish us luck."_

"Hang on Rook, we'll be there soon." Marcus flicked off the line and turned to his Latino companion – who was giving a glowing toadstool a curious prod with the nose of his Lancer.

"Let's go find Carmine and Anderson," the blue eyed man gestured forward into the Hollow. Marcus took point with Dom closely behind with Jack – who had only recently descended down in the wake of their Grindlift. There had been no room inside the pod itself so the little clicking robot was content enough to just float on down the narrow tunnel Marcus and Dom had burrowed.

The sergeant was disappointed to say the least. Marcus had expected a horde of Locust swoop down upon them the minute they had stepped out of the Grindlift and for nearly half a mile, the trek through the Hollows was uneventful. Marcus and his companion simply marvelled at the inner constructions of the Hollow as they moved deeper through the Locust highway. He paused on the beaten path to examine a mushroom that was nearly his own height and wondered what the scientists back in Jacinto would have made of the fascinating fungi. Clearly the soil was different down in the Hollow to warrant such growth. Marcus scoffed to himself and carried on after Dom. Fungi should have been the least of his priorities. The sergeant worried for Tai and Dizzy and the rest of the COG soldiers above the soil. Pale blue eyes shifted upwards toward the Hollow's vast ceiling and images of the battlefield flooded his mind.

None of them were particularly pretty.

It was only when Delta had climbed up the crest of a small hill did his Tac/Com buzz back to life. Marcus was grateful. The silence had eaten both himself and Dom up. They were just _too_ used to noise, be it the crackling of the radios or the thunderous booms of gunfire.

"_Delta, this is Control. Comm re-established thanks to Alpha One."_

Indescribable relief washed over Marcus as if he had just sunk into a hot bath. How good it was to hear Anya's controlled, calm and collected voice on the other side of the radio link. "Good to hear Control," Marcus responded, pressing a finger to his ear to get a better signal.

"_Keep an eye on the ceilings Delta. Grindlifts could be dropping down all around you."_

The sergeant looked up towards the spiked ceiling. As if on cue, several more Grindlift pods dropped down with a _boom_ half a mile away.

"Maybe Tai and Dizzy are on one of them?" Dom remarked, brown eyes watching as the pods smash into the ground.

"Rodger that. Any word from Tai or Dizzy?" Marcus asked.

He feared the answer.

"_Sorry Marcus. Drill zone has gone dark. I'll keep trying."_ Anya paused for a moment. _"Oh and Marcus...Be careful down there alright?" _

Anya's concern for Delta's leader made his belly flutter slightly and for a moment, he was unsure just how to respond. Marcus swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat. "Yeah. Thanks Anya. Delta out."

The lines started to buzz with activity again as the COG forces slowly started to establish themselves in the Locust Hollow. The sergeant felt a surge of hope as squad after squad started to report in over the Tac/Com. Perhaps the mission was not completely suicidal after all.

"_Control, this is Sergeant Redford of Bravo One. We've secured our position in the Hollow and are moving through now."_

_"I dun like it down here. It smells funny."_

_"No worse than your socks Haggard."_

_"Sweetwater, shut up!"_

Marcus almost sighed. Truly the COG were scrapping the barrel if they had deployed Bravo One - nicknamed "Bad Company" by Hoffman. _  
_

"_This is Lieutenant Loghain of Omega four. We're deployed in the Hollow as ordered. Maker turn his gaze on us."_

Marcus gave a snort. More than prayers were needed for the mission to succeed. Another two Grindlift cracked through the ceiling four hundred yards across from Delta's leader._ "This is Corporal Stratton of Alpha Seven. We're now in the Hollow."_

The sergeant gave a small smile. It felt good to know that Jace was down in the Hollow with them.

"Jace, this is Delta. Good to have you here. Good luck out there."

"_You too Marcus. Thanks. Stratton out." _

After the brief exchange and well wishes with the other squads, Delta – all two of them – pressed on through the Locust Hollow. The signs of Locust occupation became swiftly evident as the pair trekked through the caverns. They found Locust weaponry (broken and stripped of parts) and many diamond studded footprints trekking in their forward direction. Pale blue eyes darted out in every direction. Looking. Waiting. Watching. The absence of the Locust left both Marcus and Dom slightly uneasy. The deeper they went, the more dark and twisted the Hollow became. The fungi grew heavily upon the rocks, covered in a sort of green slime that was wet rather than damp. Vines hovered above in thick tendrils of blue and brown, waiting to snag and tangle the soldiers up. Dom produced his knife and cut away at the worse of the organic tendrils, stating that it would save on their precious Lancer fuel. Marcus tended to agree. He only had a few Imulsion cells for his chainsaw Bayonet and he did not intend to waste them.

It was only when another Grindlift had sailed past Delta did the Tac/Com buzz to life. _"Sarge, we're under attack! Locust are everywhere! Ah shit!" _Marcus clearly heard a hiss of a bullet through Carmine's radio transmission. The sergeant suddenly broke into a canter, keeping his finger pressed to the Tac/Com all the while. "Keep it together Rook! Dom! Double time!" His companion fell into place beside him with Jack bringing up the rear in a cloaked state.

They rounded a corner and found a hailstorm of bullets punching out in every direction overhead. Carmine's panicking, frantic voice dominated the Comm system once again. _"Ah shit! Ah shit! They're all dead Sarge! They're all dead! It's just us left!" _

Marcus's stomach jumped and he whirled around, eyes searching the surroundings for a shortcut to the rookie Gear's position. He spotted a mass of tangled vines and twisted tree roots just off to his left. Through the rooting, Marcus could make out the dappled grey figures of the Locust. He grinned, despite the situation. They could sneak right up on the Locust and they would be none the wiser. "Let's get in there Dom!" the sergeant shouted. He gave the Lancer a tug and the chainsaw spurred to life with a piercing growl that was sweeter to his ears than any musical melody. Dom was at his side, chainsaw revved and together, they brought the whirling Lancers down upon the twisted webbing of roots. Marcus gave the loose rooting a good, swift kick and forced through the threshold. Dom followed close behind Delta's leader and slid easily into cover next to him before the Locust could get a scope on them.

At the opposite end of the cavern was Carmine and Anderson. They were perched upon a small crest with only a long slab of rock protecting them from the hurricane of bullets that churned the air overhead. The Locust forces had pressed them back into the corner and were slowly pushing forward up the battlefield. Marcus was glad to see there was a distinct lack of Locust snipers. He pressed up against a stone structure and waited from the Locust above to stop to reload. One rather unlucky Locust swiftly lost his head when he did not get into cover whilst reloading. Marcus popped back down into cover just as bullets hissed over the top his do-rag clad head. He gave a swift signal to Dom, indicating for the commando to flank around to the right to encircle the Locust. Dom waited for a break in the fire and rolled flawlessly into the cover of a chunk of granite.

Marcus looked up and surprised himself by managing to take down a Locust going to aid another. He had not expected the shot to connect and he suddenly ducked down quickly to avoid retribution. The air around the sergeant became misty with granite dust and his cover was peppered with many bullets. He felt for his grenades and found he had two left. Steel bullets cracked overhead like lighting. The Locust still had numbers on Delta. The playing field had to be evened. Looking up at the flying bullets, an idea struck Marcus harder than a punch to the jaw. It was risky and dangerous and completely against protocol but Marcus decided he didn't care.

The sergeant took out one of the spiked, ice cream cone shaped grenades then radioed over to the rest of his squad.

"Dom! Carmine! Distract those Locust! I've got an idea!"

"_Yes Sarge!" _The rookie soldier suddenly switched to his Lancer and popped out of cover, drawing the yellowed eyed monsters to him. Dom's response was to change to his shotgun and insult the Locust from a distance. Marcus seized his opportunity. He pulled the little circular pin on the grenade then flung it directly at the ceiling above five Locust Grenadiers. The rocky ceiling exploded and just as Marcus predicted, several chunks of heavy rock dropped down upon the beasties and squashed them flat into pancakes. The dappled grey, Locust variety.

Delta pressed the remaining Locust, closing in from all sides and gunning the pasty skinned monsters down with surgical precision and accuracy. It was not until the last Locust Drone came to a sticky, swift end underneath Marcus's heavily booted foot did the gunfire eventually cease for a moment or two while the divided Delta regrouped.

Marcus and Dom approached the two Privates crouched behind a rock formation. "You guys okay?" Marcus asked as Dom checked the bodies of the downed COG soldiers, seemingly looking for survivors.

The helmet clad rookie looked up from the nose of his slightly smoking Longshot. Beads of sweat glimmered on the rookie's neck and his entire body trembled with fear and – with what Marcus suspected was adrenaline. He knew the feeling all too well.

"Sarge...I...I made it," Carmine said with disbelief.

Marcus looked to Carmine and felt a tingling of admiration and pride for the rookie. It was not often that the sergeant was ever overly impressed with other COG soldiers Carmine seemed to be the exception. He was full of surprises and had an unbelievable amount of skill for someone so young. "You did good Rook." Marcus paused and swivelled his blue eyed gaze around the cavern. "Where's Anderson?"

The young soldier visibly tensed and cast a glance towards the edge of their perch. There was the ghostly little Anderson crouched next to the body of a deceased COG soldier - gloved hands clutching barely warm fingers. Her black haired head was bent and her shoulders shuddered as if she were crying. From the hiccups that escaped her mouth, Marcus guessed she was. He approached the little medic carefully and recognised the newly departed soldier. He was Corporal Jamieson, the leader of Echo Five and a good man. Blood seeped out around his body like a blanket and pooled at the knees of a crouched Anderson.

Off to her left lay a few empty syringes of Morphine that had appeared to have been used recently, judging from the wet bloodstains on the plunger. Forceps, slippery with blood, sat next to the young female.

"Anderson?"

The medic looked up slowly and glassy navy blue eyes blinked up at him. They appeared larger than usual and slightly bloodshot. Her armour was studded with bloodied handprints and her black hair stuck up in a congealed little mess - as if she had hauled a bloody hand through the short, sheared locks. A large, pansy purple bruise bloomed on her forehead. She was truly a sad sight. "I tried Sergeant...I really did. H-he was bleeding from everywhere and couldn't stop him from...He asked me to...and I..." Anderson choked out.

Suddenly, the empty syringe by her feet and her sobbing became crystal clear to the sergeant. Marcus looked to the medic with no small amount of shock. Anderson had euthanized someone. Jennifer Anderson, this frightened and unremarkable medic, had euthanized a fellow soldier. Marcus would never have believed it if he had not seen it for himself. "Did you do what I think you did?" Marcus asked. His tone was deathly quiet. It was not the act the stunned him but rather the fact that Anderson had administered the final stage of death. Anderson was positively the last person he expected it from. It took an immeasurable amount of guts to end the life of a comrade for mercy's sake. Marcus knew it better than most. Not many people could live with it afterwards.

The female simply nodded - staring at the body the entire time and looking more lost than ever before. Marcus glanced back to Dom and Carmine for help. They looked on with concern and pity for Anderson, Dom especially. They had seen such acts many times, but it never seemed to get any easier. Carmine was the most distressed and Marcus was not surprised. He was just a kid – much like Anderson. In an ideal world, Carmine should have been enjoying life rather than watching it be torn away.

Marcus turned his attention back to the little medic. "Ah shit Anderson...What you did for him was probably the best god damned thing for him," He paused for a minute, struggling to find the right words to rationalise death. What exactly could one really say?

The raven haired woman looked up at him though her stare was somewhere else completely. "I killed him," she admitted, her voice cracking with each word. Anderson reached a gloved hand and wiped her eyes under her glasses.

Marcus frowned. "No, the Locust killed him."

"But I-I-I should have tried harder, done something; anything but I murdered him instead!" The sergeant noted at the desperation in her voice. It was not often that Anderson ever raised her voice to anyone. Especially him. It was just so unlike her that it unnerved him somewhat.

"Those bastards fired the damn bullets at him. Not you. You did what you had to do to spare him fucking long minutes of pain," Marcus looked at her squarely in the eye, demanding her complete and utter attention. "I need you pull together kid or we'll lose a lot more. Can you do that Anderson?"

She swallowed loudly enough for Dom and Carmine to hear. "Yes Sergeant Fenix."

The sergeant looked to the body of the corporal. "Get his tags and let's go."

She made no effort to move. It was as if the medic had been riveted to the ground with a couple of screws.

Marcus tried again. "Now Anderson." He reached a huge hand down and wretched the female to her feet. Marcus was surprised at how easily he could lift her. Even encased in COG armour, Anderson weighed next to nothing in comparison to other officers and soldiers. He wondered just how much the female weighed out of armour. It could not have been much. "Tags. Now." Short, sharp sentences seemed to snap the female from her little daze of self-pity and guilt. She turned around and plucked the silvery tags from the body wordlessly.

The medic then systematically went to all the downed soldiers, pulling each set of engraved tags from their lifeless bodies. Marcus watched as she popped the jumble of metal tags into a little velvet pocket attached to her combat belt. Every medic was known to carry one of the infamous pouches. They were black and decorated with silver COG markings with the words _Victis Honor _printed neatly upon the pouch opening. It meant "Honour the Vanquished" in the old tongue before Tyran became the universal language.

Marcus found it to be highly appropriate.

"You good?" he asked once the last tag found a home inside her pouch pocket.

Anderson looked at the bodies once more answering. "Yes Sergeant."

Marcus turned and flicked on the line to control. "Control this is Delta. We've got Carmine but it looks like Echo five is down. We're heading deeper into the Hollow."

"_Rodger that. Tunnel maps show direct access approximately thirty metres ahead."_

Carmine approached the pod and looked to the stony barricade. "But sir...there's a wall there." The rookie gear gave the said wall a tap with the muzzle of his Longshot as if Marcus had missed the wall completely.

The Latino rapped the Grindlift with his armoured knuckles. "What about the Grindlift?"

"I think its busted Sir."

Marcus gave a whistle and Jack – the plucky little robot - shimmered into view like a little ghost. "Jack, see what you can do."

Jack blinked at him, the optics glowing in a friendly manner then floated to the Grindlift at a leisurely pace. Delta watched as the floating robot pulled open circuit boards and started fishing amongst the wiring, pulling out bits here and repairing things there. He made quick work of the broken circuits and soon enough, the Grindlift was in perfect working order. Marcus flicked the switched. It started up with a cough then seconds later, the small pod was burrowing on ahead of Delta; leaving a great cloud of thick dust and trail of rocks behind. The group followed on, Marcus in the lead with Dom and Anderson in the middle then Carmine at the end.

The squad leader let out an angry growl and wiped the dust from his ice blue eyes. There was so much dirt and granite particles floating about the air that he could barely take two steps ahead without his eyes watering. Dom and Anderson were not fairing much better but Carmine was the only one who could see and breathe without any trouble whatsoever.

"Man, it is dusty as hell in here," Dom stated between wheezy coughs.

"It just gets into everything," complained Anderson, wiping the grime and dust from the lenses of her glasses with a thumb.

"You know the helmets have a filtering system right? If you wore a helmet then you wouldn't have to breathe in all the dust," bragged the rookie gear.

Marcus grumbled and wanted nothing more than to stuff Carmine into a hole.

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't be able to see Snipers very well now would I?"

"What do you mean by that? There's no snipers here," the rookie's voice held a level of confusion.

The sergeant stepped in before Dom said something that he would sorely regret. "Just cool it Dom," Marcus fired the warning shot at his long-time friend. It was not like Dom to make such a scathing comment. Baird, it was more than expected. It was routine for him to be bitchy. Marcus was often worried if the blonde did not have something negative or cutting to say. Dom was usually so placid and friendly to his teammates.

Despite the sergeant's best efforts, the dickering irrupted again to the point where the Marcus wanted to beat his do-rag clad head on a mossy rock.

It was going to be a_ very_ long day.

* * *

Ragnarok left Munnnaki alone with Hel. He knew the groundwalker would be in shock but Hel was a temperate and would console the human female with hushed tones and gentle words. He was certain of that. Ragnarok did not understand humans very well and understood their language even less. He thought of his human carefully, picturing her clearly in his mind. Munnnaki was frightened but strong and still made of fire. Ragnarok had seen it in those expressive, human eyes. For a moment, the Locust's bestial side had reared and he had had the desire to take them from her so he could admire their colour and intensity whenever he wanted. But he had shaken it off and was pleased with his own self restraint. His fellow brothers would have done far less.

The Locust left his dwelling armed with a Hammerburst and pistol, the standard weaponry for any warrior. Ragnarok had to admit to himself that he preferred the human weapon, "Lancer" the groundwalkers called them. He admired their construction and strength but he would not dare to use such a weapon in plain sight. To do so was...unthinkable. Human weapons were always considered second choice to most of his brethren. Only the _Orbis_ used them by choice, Locust trained to challenge the humans with their own weapons.

Ragnarok came to a junction and turned down left, through the Living Dens and back towards the market. A coin purse of Locust currency – attached to his Brumak skin belt – jingled happily at his side. He clutched in a shopping list – a list that Hel had deposited in his clawed hands before he could utter a growl of protest. Yellow Locust eyes glanced towards at the neatly etched symbols upon the human paper. Herbs. Meat. Thread. Needles. Bullets. The basic necessities of life to a Locust. Ragnarok grimaced, his Locust features twisted in worry. The season of frost had been hard on Ragnarok and his brethren. The human warriors above ground seemed more driven than what was expected of them. Ragnarok admired them for such an effort. The Queen of the Locusthad been ruthless on the groundwalkers and they had somehow managed to survive despite the futility of all it.

He wished that he too had the groundwalkers courage.

The warrior came to a stop in the bustling souk and he took in the sights and smells of the stalls. Ragnarok did so love to trade and his occupation as an architect provided him with the means to do so. Hel also had many connections to the stall owners and often got discounts on purchased goods for their small family. The Locust approached the nearest stall where a Cyclops – adorned in a one eyed helmet – was showing his wares to their passing brethren.

"Hail Ymir, son of Niflheim, what wares do you hawk this day?" Ragnarok greeted heartily.

The Cyclops on the other side of the black wood stall gave a toothy grin, sharp fangs glittering in the Imulsion powered lighting. "Take heed Ragnarok for I bring nothing but the finest from the land of the groundwalkers." He gestured towards the various items spread out across his stall. They ranged from glittering human rocks to silver engraved bowls to picture books filled with words he did not understand. Anything remotely human was certain to be found on Ymir's table of wares and Ragnarok found it to be quite amazing that the Locust Cyclops still managed to find such treasures on the ruined surface world.

"Be this all?" Ragnarok eyed the collection of human oddities displayed out upon two fine human silk shawls. Hel would have exclaimed over the strange patterns and stitching upon the material. She knew how long such a task would have taken.

"Tartarus fly away with your insolence of course it is not all!" Ymir insisted, his tone humorous despite his harsh talk.

Ragnarok stroked an open book, letting his clawed fingertips linger upon a picture of a bloodied sunset. "Has this season of cold been hard on you?"

Ymir nodded. "Yes Ragnarok. Scouting has become difficult for us and the queen can spare none to guard the caravans whilst we search the surface." The Cyclops looked around before lowering his voice down an octave or two. "I have it on good authority that the groundwalkers have invaded the Highways."

The regular Locust was startled for a moment, his shock displayed clearly for those who could read Locust emotions. "Are you certain my friend?"

"Very. Loki told me so."

Ragnarok grunted. He did not trust Loki in the slightest, despite the Theron guard's insistence that he meant well to the Lambent and their cause. Though he often brought good information from the royal council and planted lies to keep the rest of their brethren off of the scent of the Lambent resistance, something about the Theron left a quiver in Ragnarok's chest.

Ymir did not speak again until a rush of Grenadiers had passed that were likely on their way to the surface. "And word on the wind is that they say that you took a human into your home? Be this truth or fiction?"

"You are correct."

"But why brother?"

"Hel and I have our reason. She is a human of importance to us.

"Such actions are foolish. Do you truly wish to bring more suspicion upon _us_?"

Ragnarok leaned forward on the counter, yellow eyes dim with warning and challenge. "You forget who has kept you and your family safe from the _Securitatis Urbanae Cura_," he hissed. White fists clenched against the tabletop, scrunching up the silken shawls. The second Locust leaned back slightly and suddenly, it was as if the rest of the market was not there. Ymir's dappled grey throat jerked and he appeared nervous under his helmet. Every Locust knew of the SUC. They wielded unimaginable power and held the blade of fear against the rest of their kin. Those who crossed them would disappear completely. "I apologise Ragnarok. It was not my place to say such things."

The regular Locust backed down. "I understand you are troubled but have faith in me Ymir."

"I do Ragnarok. It just disquiets me so, this waiting." The Cyclops held a fine china cup in his hands in attempt to busy himself. The dust rag trembled slightly in his clawed hand.

Ragnarok could hardly blame his fellow Locust. Many of his followers felt the same way. "We will not have to wait for much longer."

"And what of your human?"

"Munnnaki will assist us. I am certain."

Ymir stared at Ragnarok as if the Locust had grown a set of tentacles right then and there. "How Ragnarok? How can a groundwalker help us?"

Ragnarok took a leap of faith worthy of song and dance. "She will help us. Delta will help us."

The china cup smashed to the ground, the little white shards splintering off in every direction upon the tiled flooring.

Two female Locusts passing jumped at the sound of shattering china and looked to Ymir with curiosity in their yellow eyed stares. The merchant managed to regain his composure and waved them off with a swipe of his large hands. The "Delta" squad was a taboo word indeed within Nexus. They were killers, murderers and demons. Locust despised even _thinking_ about them, much less actually speaking of them. Locust children would stop playing. Merchants would scowl. Therons would curse. Kantus would hiss and the queen often went silent – a deadly silence – whenever Delta were mentioned in conversation. Most of his brethren made it a point to not to speak of infamous human squad. It brought too much shame upon them. The death of General Raam still bled like a thousand wounds to many Locusts.

"The demons?" Ymir avoided naming the human squad.

Ragnarok dipped his head into a nod. "Yes. Them," he repeated, his tone hushed as not to attract more attention.

The merchant visibly flinched as if Ragnarok had whipped him. "That is dangerous thinking brother. The queen will have you flayed for such talk."

"She does not have to know."

"What do they have to do with your human pet?"

Ragnarok threw Ymir a Locust equivalent of a cryptic smile. "Patience Ymir. Soon all will be revealed." With that, Ragnarok picked up a folded human blanket, tossed several gold coins onto the surface and departed the stall before the merchant could even utter a word. Ragnarok considered it to be better that he revealed little at a time.

Focusing fully on his task, Ragnarok moved through the bazaar and made quick work of Hel's list. He bartered for herbs and mushrooms. He haggled with a sociable Butcher for better cuts of Rockworm. He negotiated with a tailor for thick sewing needles for his mate. Ragnarok lost himself in the culture of his people and forgot about the Lambent's plight for a while.

By the time that the dutiful Locust had completed the list, Ragnarok left the market district with several bundles of parcels wrapped in thick brown paper juggled in his arms. He felt distinctly pleased with himself that he had managed to get everything Hel required plus some. He was positive that his mate would appreciate the picture book of painted human landscapes. Hel adored human artefacts. The feathery human blanket, however, was for Munnnaki. He assumed that a touch of familiarity would help calm the human female's troubled, troubled soul.

He had just taken a second lift upwards to the residential zone when a Theron appeared from the shadows so swiftly and silently that he could have almost been one. Ragnarok felt a gust of apprehensive and his plated white skin tensed at the sudden intrusion of the royal palace guard. It was impossible not to. The Theron was adorned in the tradition royal armour and bore the royal arms of a Torque Bow. Cautious eyes out at Ragnarok, a more startling amber shade than yellow.

It took much courage for Ragnarok to stand tall in front of the imposing guard. "Loki," he greeted with a stiff bow of head that was expected of him.

Loki returned the greeting. "Ragnarok."

"I trust you are well this day?" he questioned politely.

"Yes brother."

"Can I help you with something Loki?"

"There is something I must inform you of." The Theron's tone dipped into a barely audible hiss and he cast a wide glance around their surroundings. "The queen has ordered an investigation of the Lambent. She intends to root us out by force." Loki did not elaborate further what meant by force but Ragnarok grasped the general idea. "Have you done something to prevent it?"

Loki nodded. "I have sown more seeds of rumour through my network but I fear it will not be enough. The queen will come down upon us like fire upon dry grass. She will stop at nothing to end us," explained the Theron.

"I appreciate the effort Loki. I shall alert the others to be prepared for raids."

The Theron dipped his head into a nod again. "You would be wise to do this Ragnarok. I cannot be certain how much longer I can keep us hidden."

And just like that, the royal guard slid back into the shadows from whence he came and left the residential sector; leaving a very apprehensive Ragnarok alone in the corridor. Loki's words had left his Locust belly reeling and his two hearts roaring like a strong wind. The Locust clenched his parcels and suppressed the uneasiness that crept up his spine.

Carrying both the parcels and the new knowledge, Ragnarok worked his way up several lifts and two corridors to return back to his cosy dwelling on one of the upper levels. He hated being away from his mate and would often count down the minutes – maybe even seconds – until he returned to her. The Locust enjoyed nothing more than opening the door and find Hel sitting in her armchair reading. She would smile, hold up a marble cup for him to fill with their favourite tea and together the pair would enjoy a cup in front of the fire; perfectly content in each others company.

Hel had been sitting at their eating table when Ragnarok finally returned. A mug of tea sat next to her along with an open book printed in human text. The stew simmered away, bubbling with flavour and spices but Munnnaki was nowhere to be seen. He was somewhat surprised that the human was not still wolfing down Hel's cooking. Munnnaki looked as if she needed many meals in one day.

Ragnarok dipped down and nuzzled against his mate's snowy white neck. Hel smelt like a flurry of different spices and herbs, a scent that he found to be completely intoxicating.

The female locust let out a soft sigh and reached a hand up to stroke his cheek, fingers softer than the finest human silk. "Greetings my love."

"Hel," he breathed with closed eyes. "I got everything you required." His words were coupled with heavy thumps upon the table.

"Our full bellies will thank you."

"Where is our human?"

"Munnnaki is sleeping. It has been long since she has had rest." Hel begun to unwrap the brown packages and put the contents into their respective places around the kitchen.

"I spoke with Loki."

"What did he have to say this day?"

Ragnarok paused for a moment before continuing. "That the queen is planning to raid those under suspicion. They hope to find evidence of the Lambent. I am not sure what we should do."

The female Locust did not miss a beat and continued to unpack the shopping; her facial expression did not change in the slightest. "We shall do nothing differently. They will find nothing. We are all too careful"

"How can you be certain Hel?" Ragnarok wanted to hear it from someone else – wanted to hear that everything would go accordingly to their painstakingly crafted plans.

Hel stopped and turned to take her mate's face between her palms. She smiled and Ragnarok felt all his insecurities melt away completely as she stroked his cheeks with the soft padding of her thumbs. The male Locust reached up and clasped his own hands across hers. "Have faith. We shall be delivered from this. It is a test of our stregthm," she whispered in a soothing manner.

Ragnarok swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat. "And of Delta? And Munnnaki? And the queen?"

"Hush. Think not of them yet. It will all come to pass soon enough Ragnarok. Soon, we will meet our destiny that cannout be denied." Because Hel had such passion and strength in her words, the male Locust believed her – believed that everything his mate said would come to pass. Ragnarok burrowed his snout into the crook of Hel's neck and for a moment, he forgot about the war. He forgot about the Lambent and the plight his people faced. He forgot about Loki and the queen and the danger.

* * *

**And that's a wrap for now.**

**Some Latin was involved in this chapter and hopefully, they are all correct enough. I got a hold of an Oxford Latin English dictionary :] The other ones were only rough translations that were only really used for it to sound cool. They were translated using an Online translator.**

**More is to be revealed in Nexus in due time. Still just working out the final stages of that little plan. Expect drama! *Insert over the top music here***

**EDIT: The issue of the Locust dialogue has been brought up and yes, I'm aware that it is difficult to grasp the Locust speaking in such a manner but they must have dialect of some kind. I refuse to believe that they speak in grunts and growls. Any civilisation that can build, have an advanced understanding of maths (Which you need to build computers) and have a religion should be able to talk. I tried to imagine how it would sound if it were translated into our own language. I wanted it to sound strange and stiff and unusual because they are meant to be talking in their own native tongue and wanted to show how differently they speak in when compared to the humans. The bits in Latin that are in Italics are points of interest to the reader.**

**Thanks for reading guys! *Blows kisses***


	6. VI: Revelations 21:6

**Hey guys.**

**Let me just start by saying a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Nearly 70 reviews and I'm only just finishing chapter six! I'm so grateful for the reviews! They really keep me going and inspire confidence.****You guys are just so amazing. I'm really grateful for the support.  
**

**Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I had a lot of trouble with it *Slams face on keyboard* so it's a wee bit choppy but it's the best I can do. I'm more looking forward to writing chapter seven more than anything else. I blame the delay for this chapter on The Sims 3. Damn that addictive game. It's the kind you're ashamed to play.  
**

**Cupcakes (Because cookies aren't as cool) to anyone who picks up the Dragon Age reference.**

**"A Grievous Redemption" by Jord (A fantastic take on what could/have happened for GoW 3)  
"A Time to Remember" by JeanDaBean (Adventures from Dom's perspective while Marcus is in prison. Features William Anderson, Jennifer's brother.)  
" Port Farral" by Septembertopia (Set after the events of GoW 2 with an OC squad. A fantastic start so far and worth a read.)  
"Moments" by Ryssa1457 (For any Carmine [A or B] fan)  
"Pieces" by Ryssa1457 (Because Ben Carmine needs love too)  
"Edge of Defence" by Jiodore (An excellent story about Cole and Baird)  
"Gears of War: Hidden Desires (It's a really interesting concept that I'd like to see develop)  
"****Gears of War: Deployable Weapon**** (An surprising little gem of a story. Very well written with some lovely little surprises)****  
"Gears of War: Hope Runs Deep" by Sarazz Prime (Written by one of the best GoW action writers on the site)  
"Gears of War: Dog of War" by LoboDiabloLoneWolf (Awesomeness in digital format.)  
"Things We Never Said" by gnarled (Okay, it's a one shot but lovely Marcus/Anya luff all the same)  
"Snowblind" by JonesyBites (Probably some of the best Baird characterisation that you could hope to see)**

**Thank you as always ****to Judge Magister Fermus for listening to me talk about this fic and letting me bounce ideas off him. Without him, it would never exist. Forever grateful bro.**

* * *

**Gears of War 2: **Crimson Cross

**Chapter Six**: Revelations 21:6

**"I'm a soldier, born to stand  
In this waking hell I am  
witnessing more than I can compute**  
**Pray myself we don't forget **  
**Lies, betrayed and the oppressed **  
**Please give me the strength to be the truth"  
**Yoko Kanno feat. Origa** - "Rise"**

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** PV-B.C.831-862-203-088  
**Current Time: **17:02  
**Current Location:**Locust Hollow

There was a reason that Delta squad was so exclusive and down in the tunnels of the Locust Hollow, Ben Carmine finally understood why. Marcus Fenix rode Delta hard; harder than any other squad leader Ben had known in the two years he had been part of the COG army. Each time Delta slowed their pace, Sergeant Fenix would crack his metaphorical whip at them and get the soldiers moving again. They grumbled – or rather the Latino grumbled - but obeyed their squad leader. Ben figured that Delta's leader was just anxious to get the mission over with as quickly as possible. He couldn't blame him but it did not make the unrelenting march through the Locust Hollow any easier. The hours just seemed to blend together to the point where Ben stopped believing the tiny clock on his HUD. His sore shoulder ached and itched and the sweat dripped down his neck but he refused to fall behind. He was determined to prove his rocks to Delta squad.

Besides, the brutal pace distracted Ben from the deaths of Echo Five. He had seen each one of them gunned down before his very eyes, their lives extinguished as easily as a torch. Ben tried hard not to remember the nausea he had felt in his gut, the indescribable fear of knowing that he would be next.

A chill cantered down his spine and Ben looked on ahead toward the rest of his squad, as if to reassure himself that they were actually alive. Sergeant Fenix lead them forward through the darkness, his blue eyes so piercing that Ben was sure that the grizzled sergeant could see right through the void black shadows. Dominic Santiago – the seasoned commando – kept to the sides, checking for any hidden routes or shortcuts in the Locust tunnels. Twice they had changed direction and taken a short cut to avoid unnecessary confrontations with the enemy forces. Ben had thought it would have been better to engage the enemy while they had the element of surprise but Sergeant Fenix said otherwise so Ben followed his orders without complaint.

After all, Sergeant Fenix was always right about such matters. Ben trusted his judgement above all else.

Jennifer Anderson, however, was the only one who was struggling to keep up with Sergeant Fenix's hard march. She slipped and fell at least a dozen times throughout the trek. To her credit, the little medic did not complain once but just seemed to get slower and slower until the point where she was stumbling on her feet. Ben had gone back to help her twice.

Dom looked back towards the exhausted medic and frowned. Ben saw his uneasiness, even a good ten metres away. He always seemed to be the one watching over them both in an almost parental manner. Ben knew that the Sergeant cared in his own unique way. He had only seen the emotion glimmer through a handful times but it was certainly there. He never disclosed it in words, just little looks and twitches in his facial muscles. The commando however was a touch more open than the gruff sergeant. "Marcus, I think we should stop for a minute." It did not sound like a suggestion or request; it sounded more like an order to Ben's helmet clad ears.

Sergeant Fenix halted and swivelled his mad-dog eyes towards his fatigued squad. They paused on Anderson for a moment. The permanent dents in his forehead softened slightly and he gave a low grumble. "Alright Delta. Take five."

Anderson practically collapsed the minute the words left the Sergeant's mouth. She just dropped like a little rock into her plated knees and curled up on her side; a sheen of sweat collected on her pale forehead. Ben followed suit, flopping down next to her in the dirt and dust. He fumbled with the straps and removed his helmet to wipe the dampness from his brow. He turned to look at Anderson. The raven haired girl had been near enough silent since the incident with Echo Five. True, they had all been quite quiet but Anderson had been wordless. Dom had attempted some conversation with her, trying to sooth her restless conscience with some practiced words but Anderson had jammed up tighter than a South Island clam.

So Ben had a go. He always seemed to have better luck with her. "You okay Anderson?"

Anderson blinked up at him and suddenly, Ben felt very stupid indeed. Of course she was not okay. It was a stupid question on his part.

"I don't know. I just keep thinking of Jamieson...How he looked when he died. It just won't go away." The female let out a sound that was a cross between a hiccup and a sob, as if she were trying to stop herself from crying again. It made Ben's stomach clench. He reached out and placed a hand on her shuddering shoulder. Anderson stilled almost immediately beneath his palm. "Hey, hey. Don't keep thinking about stuff like that. It will tear you up. You know it wasn't your fault."

"I know but I just can't help it...there must have been something more I could have done..." she trailed off, seemingly lost for words. Which happened often Ben had observed.

He looked to her curiously, his eyes drawn to the medic symbol printed upon her white chest plate. The red cross and cog logo was the only ounce of colour on Anderson's tiny form and more often than not, it drew Ben's attention. He liked bright colours. "Didn't you ever lose anyone in the hospital?" Ben asked. It seemed strange to him that the death of a fellow soldier would affected the medic so much. He had assumed that she would have been used to people dying in her hands. Did that not come with the territory?

The medic shook her head. The little black locks had hardened with the blood of the fallen squad and stuck up in unnatural little spikes. "I never worked in Accident and Emergency." Her gloved hands – barely large enough to hold a pistol – clenched against the ground. Ben was amazed at how little they were and remembered how easily they had weaved through his shoulder muscles to pull out a bullet.

He was curious to know what else they could do.

Ben swallowed – his throat suddenly and unspeakably dry. "How come you weren't in A and E?" he asked, trying to distract himself from wondering what Anderson's hands would have felt like without the confines of COG army gloves.

And he failed.

Miserably.

Ben had never been very good with girls. He had met so very few of them, and the ones he had were very scary indeed. Some of them he could not tell that they were even female. Jennifer Anderson wasn't like them at all. She was cute and – as he had noticed – was very obviously female. Ben had no clue what to say or what to do. Long ago, the older Carmine brother Clay had sat both him and Anthony down and given them "The Talk". Ben remembered with embarrassing agony every word of that conversation and promised never to act in such a brainless manner. He wouldn't a girl get him distracted.

Only now, Ben was finding it difficult to find the will power to keep that promise. Or even concentrate on anything other than the little medic.

Anderson, blissfully unaware of his inner turmoil, answered him. "I wasn't ready for it. They probably thought I couldn't handle people dying on me. Which I can't. I'm an awful medic," she said with a deflated expression swiftly adorning her doll-like face. For a second, Ben had felt compelled to pull her into a tight embrace and make the expression go away. He reined back the urge back before the lesser part of his brain had acted on it. Ben was sure that Sergeant Fenix would have had something to say if he were caught clinging to medic like a little monkey.

"That's not true. You saved my life remember?" Ben's shoulder certainly remembered for it gave a painful throb underneath his bulky armour just for good measure.

"Yeah...that's right. How is your shoulder feeling now?" Anderson asked, her eyes combing over the puncture in his armour.

The youngest Carmine brother reached a hand up and rubbed his shoulder. "It's a bit itchy but I think will be okay for a while," he lied. It hurt like hell and he still felt the occasional reel from the blood loss, despite the packet Anderson had given him.

Anderson looked up at him with a crinkled brow, wearing a frown.

"Can I have a look at it? A proper look?"

Ben hesitated. It would mean that he would have to remove his armour –even his thermal layer - for Anderson to examine his itching wound properly.

And the very thought of it terrified the young soldier.

"No really, I'm fine," Ben insisted, holding up his hands as if he was trying to reason with a Berserker. It was then that he noticed just how hot his armour had become, how sticky his palms had become under metal and fabric.

Anderson blinked at him; her navy blue eyes very large behind her thick lenses. Her mouth was parted slightly and she looked at him in a pleading manner that almost broke Ben's resolve. What made it all the worse is that she had no idea exactly what she was doing to him. Ben barely understood it himself. He had known the medic for little more than a day but he felt as if he had known her his entire life. The feeling left him with the impulse to protect her from harm and he was not really sure why.

"Please Carmine, it would really help me if I could just have a little look to make sure everything's okay. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

The rookie swallowed again and was suddenly aware at just how just how close the little medic was to him. Despite the groans and moans the Hollow seemed to make – along with the distant gunfire – Ben clearly heard the feather light breathing of Anderson. His own breath hitched at notch and suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to run in the opposite direction and get away from all the new feelings that she was stirring up.

Thankfully, fate threw him a bone in the shape of Sergeant Fenix. The squad leader was rousing a tired Delta back to their feet. "Right guys. Let's get moving again." Ben jumped at the escape route and leapt to his feet as if his backside had been on fire. He cast a glance towards the medic and felt his stomach tighten again. Ben could see concern and defeat clearly painted across her face.

"You two! Hurry up!" Sergeant Fenix shouted over at them, clearly getting impatient with the delays.

"You heard the Sarge, come on Anderson. You can check it later. Scouts honour." He made the sloppy scout gesture then fought his helmet back onto his head. Ben had not been a boy scout for very long time but that hardly deterred him. He held out a gloved hand towards the little medic. She looked at him then gave a real, soft smile that made Ben's legs shake. She slipped a tiny hand in between his and Ben gently pulled the female onto her feet. Anderson's grip stayed tightly in his and Ben felt himself squeeze her hand gently.

She squeezed back, her cheeks an adorable dusty pink that he loved saying. The gentle little smile still adorned her doll-like features. He was glad his ears were covered by his COG issued helmet for they were hot and red under the metal.

"You ready?" the rookie asked.

"Not really."

Ben smiled beneath his helmet. "Neither am I." Together, they caught up with the rest of Delta squad before the Sergeant decided to leave them there for good.

Considering how hard Sergeant Fenix was pushing them, it did not sound like an entirely bad idea.

He wouldn't have minded being left alone with Anderson.

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 17:16  
**Current Location: **Locust Hollow, 300 metres below surface.

"One thing I still don't understand. Have the Locust been down here, like, forever or what?"

Marcus was not surprised when the Rookie gear cracked the silence again. He just never seemed to shut up. Even exhausted, Carmine still attempted to make conversation with his fellow Gears; usually over something trivial or irrelevant but Delta's leader just let him blabber away for the most part. It was probably just nerves that were getting to the youngest squad member. Carmine had shown a unique tendency to babble a lot when he was nervous. Marcus could not blame him. The further Delta pressed into the Locust Hollow, the more nightmarish their surrounding became. Dark roots closed in from every side, thicker and stronger than steel. A few pools of dark blue water – swimming with bones and other grisly pieces of organic matter - cut off many of their paths. Marcus barked out an order not to touch them and the squad were quick to obey. Something that looked like worms flickered beneath the surface of the black ponds but Marcus did not want to think about them too much.

"Who knows man," Dom remarked, stepping gingerly through a pond of glowing vegetation behind the squad leader. The Latino looked as if he expected something horrid to leapt out of the water at him.

"This one guy in basic, he thought they were from Risea or one of the moons, and they feed on Imulsion."

Dom gave a snort of amusement. "Hey Marcus, ever seen them eating Imulsion?"

"They can eat crap and die for all I care," Marcus answered plainly as he waded through the swallow puddle; the water seeping in through the holes in his boots and drenching his socks. He ignored this particular discomfort for his mind was far elsewhere. He heard the grumbling, almost hungry growl of something close. Something very close. It echoed down the tunnel and chilled the marrow in Marcus's bones.

"Delta. Shut up a second."

The squad fell silent and halted, their collective ears straining.

Then, they too heard the ever increasing growl of something not entirely human.

"Guys, what am I hearing?" asked the rookie gear.

"It sounds hungry...Really hungry," stated Anderson, looking terrified as per usual. "Oh, I don't want to be eaten."

Despite the situation, Marcus resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"If it's close enough to eat you, it's close enough for a shot to the face," the sergeant growled before gesturing his squad forward with the swipe of his gloved hand. He could roughly make out a dim orange light out at the end of the tunnel and Delta forward.

Slowly and cautiously, the squad crept forward into the light and were highly surprised to find the burning torch at the foot of a set of dusty stone steps that lead up towards a structure craved into the natural rock formation. Marcus was stunned to say the least. So far, he had seen nothing that indicated that the Locust were an intelligent form of life but the evidence in front of him dictated otherwise. Even from his present position, the Sergeant could clearly make out the intricate details of the Locust structure. The building was quite grand, made from polished stone archways and indented with complex, almost celtic designs that must have taken many hours to complete. It put the squad leader in mind of a medieval castle and Marcus could not help but admire it briefly.

"I think it's safe to say that is not a natural cave formation," Dom stated rather unnecessarily.

"You were wondering where they came from Carmine?" Marcus remarked as Delta crept forward cautiously. Marcus looked up and could clearly see long gangly figure drifting through the archways of the Locust outpost like a phantom or ghost. Brown, leathery robes followed out behind in its wake; rustling softly against the concrete and stone. The remainder of the creature's body was adorned in a mixture of almost regal armour and a crown-like helmet. It seemed to carry itself with such dignity that it made Marcus's trigger finger pause for a moment.

When it spotted the crouched humans, it gave out a shriek that was similar to the one that had appeared on the decking of Rig 314. It let out several loud, high pitched screams that left Marcus's eardrums ringing with sharp throbs of pain. A door to the right of the Locust outpost opened up and a wave of Drones rushed out into Delta's line of fire. Marcus instinctively raised the rifle and squeezed the trigger of his Lancer, empting three waves of hot lead into the offending Locust soldiers.

"What are these guys?" Dom shouted out over general confusion and gunfire.

"I don't care. Just shut 'em up!" Marcus hollered back, trying to keep Carmine covered while the rookie took shots at the shrieking Locust. A Drone fired in the sergeant's general direction and a bullet struck Marcus's armour hard with an audible thump. The squad leader hissed and slid back down into cover. Marcus groped his chest plate, looking for a wound as he could not feel one. Perhaps he had been so critically injured that his brain had blocked out the pain completely. It had happened more than once to him.

Mercifully, it appeared that the bullet had not penetrated his armour and had become lodged in between the metal and padding that pinched his skin when he moved.

"Incoming Grenade!" exclaimed Dom.

Marcus looked up. True enough, a grenade that had never before been seen sailed through the air and struck hard right next to the squad leader. Before he could even think about moving, the little clamp-like grenade erupted into a thick, haze of greenish black gas had engulfed Marcus's position. The smoke stung his eyes and left his lungs feeling as if they had been set on fire. They burned so fiercely he was sure that they were about to explode at any second.

"Marcus! Over here!" shouted Dom as he ripped open the belly of a Grenadier with his barking Lancer.

Taking a leap of faith, the squad leader blindly rolled out of the murky cloud and towards what he hoped with the general direction of Dom. Marcus crunched into the stone cover with enough force to leave a bruise, blue eyes weeping from the poisonous smoke.

"Get...that screaming thing...It's...throwing ink grenades!" choked out a watery eyed Marcus. He inhaled deeply, trying to fill his lungs with cold oxygen to dose the burning sensation underneath his chest. Though he was in clean air, he still hacked and coughed harshly.

"I'm trying! Bastard won't hold still," shouted Carmine from ten paces away. He was right. The gangly Locust was leaping and rolling with incredible speed that Marcus's eyes could barely keep up with him. The rookie gear had his Longshot propped on the stone wall and was attempting to line up a killing shot on the dancing creature. Marcus – though he was still wheezing – popped back up from behind the granite cover and emptied a clip of Lancer ammo into a Drone that had been aiming for Carmine, trying to give the rookie valuable seconds he needed. The rookie was incredible with the Longshot, considering his age and his little experience. He could make shots that Marcus was sure he would miss. If anyone could pop the head of the screaming grub, the sergeant was certain it was Carmine.

Then suddenly, a rounded bullet from a Hammerburst struck the rookie's rifle and knocked it clean out of his gloved hands. The Longshot sailed through the air and landed with a cloud of dust at the booted feet of Anderson. Through the general confusion of the battlefield, Marcus had completely forgotten that she was present. And with good reason too. She had been hiding behind a great chunk of rock the entire time, squeaking every time the ping of a bullet struck close to her cover.

Anderson scrabbled for the scoped rifle and pulled it close to her chest as if it were some kind of treasured possession. Had he not been under heavy gunfire, Marcus would have laughed the very sight. The Longshot was practically half Anderson's body length and she looked so comical clutching it to her tiny body.

Blue eyes swivelled to the leaping Locust. The medic had a clear line of fire at a perfect angle. Nearly every other Locust on the battlefield was engaged with the rest of the Delta squad. It would only take one clean shot to put the creature down for good. Marcus was sure that not even Jennifer Anderson could miss such a perfect shot.

"Kill that yelling Locust Anderson!"

The female fumbled with the breech, fear making her fingers clumsy. "It's out of ammo Sergeant," she cried.

Marcus cursed his bad luck. How typical that Carmine had not had a chance to reload before the Locust knocked the weapon from his unsuspecting hands.

"Anderson! Catch!" Carmine had bravely stood up from cover to toss a cartridge of Longshot ammo towards the medic. With wide glassy eyes, Anderson missed the easy throw and awkwardly dropped the cartridge twice with panic. Her gloved fingertips fumbled with the clipped lid and Marcus was more than attempted to get up out of his cover, march over and reload the rifle for her. She raised the weapon, arms visibly shaking under the weight of the seven kilogram rifle.

"C'mon! Take the damn shot!" Marcus shouted with steadily mounting distress as he exterminated the last Locust Drone that had been gunning in the direction of the medic. The second that the body hit the floor, the Locust stopped rolling around the battlefield and begun chanting in loud hisses. Papery skin glowed yellowish white and lit up the entire area surrounding the creature. Marcus was not entirely sure what he was witnessing but he was sure that it would not bode well for his squad.

Dom was the first to notice something was wrong. "Marcus! I think it's doing something to those dead Locust."

The squad leader stared with disbelief as the previously dead bodies of the Locust Drones also began to glow yellow. Two of them writhed on the ground as if some unknown force was funnelling electricity into their lifeless bodies. Their limbs twisted and jerked out at angles that were sickening, disturbing and fascinating all at the same time. Marcus tore his eyes away from the impossible madness.

"Kill it Anderson! Do it now!"

Anderson screwed up her face and pulled the trigger.  
_  
Boom!_

Crack!

The echo of bones shattering was unmistakeable. Marcus knew that sound very well. When one knew it was his enemy, it was a truly satisfying sound. Nothing could have been sweeter to the squad leader. Marcus looked up towards the once leaping Locust and just managed to catch the sight of it swinging backwards like a felled tree. The bodies of the Locust Drones went still and lifeless – just the way Marcus liked them. He cast his blue eyed gaze onto the female and astonishment mirrored right back at him. The rest of Delta squad were staring at her with something close to disbelief as well and suddenly, Anderson dropped as if it were red hot.

Carmine was the first to break the stunned silence. "Whoa! That looked like a headshot to me."

"Puts the Lucky in 'lucky shot'" added Dom, wiping his damp brow with the palm of his hand.

The little medic gave a smile that was weaker than Baird's tea.

Marcus picked himself up out of cover and dusted off his armour. Delta's attention snapped to his movement. "Better make sure it's dead huh?" Cautiously, he crossed the bullet dusted battlefield to survey the dead body at his booted feet. Under the watchful eye of Delta, Marcus gave the body a hard kick to the gut. Hard enough to crack a rib or two at least. When it ceased to stir, Marcus crouched down, blue eyes darting up and down the Locust remains. His gaze paused on what was once the head of the deceased Locust. There was very little left, just a rather juicy piece of mangled flesh that looked like a popped balloon. The squad leader had to admit that he was impressed. It was a perfect shot, even Lady Luck had obvious given the bullet a good kiss beforehand.

He stood up. "Jack, scan these bodies. Looks likes there is some kind of markings."

The geobot blinked out of his cloaking field and complied with the squad leaders orders. A thin beam of blue light no bigger than a pinhead scanned over the body over the creature and captured the strange indentations on the body. He stored the data into his vast memory banks to be sent off to Control at the earliest convenience.

Once the robot had finished the task, Marcus moved his squad on. "Right, let's move out Delta." Marcus gestured the squad forward through the impressive steel doors. They followed him through dimly lit Locust passages, pausing every so often to admire the Locust architecture as they trekked through the outpost. Their eyes met patterns of thick squares and geometrical designs that probably formed letters or words. They were beautiful to look at. Delta were awestruck and Anderson had actually stopped to run her gloved fingertips across the indented stone, her eyes wide with curiosity and utter joy. It was the first time that Marcus had ever seen her properly happy. He was sure she probably would have stood there all day working out the runes had he not growled her back into place.

"Careful Delta, we don't know what we'll find in here," he warned, moving carefully through the Locust corridors. It was suspiciously quiet, a touch too quiet considering the fact that Delta had just broken in. Though he could not see anything, the sergeant could not shake the sensation of what felt like a thousand eyes trained upon him. The squad leader took to the shadows and was always the first one to go around a darkened corner.

Marcus paused for a moment and signalled his squad to do the same. Delta had come to a fork in the road; one path accessed by a ladder while the other was through a set of huge, steel doors. "I don't see any movement up ahead but let's split up and get the drop on anyone who's there." He turned to face his squad. "Dom, take Anderson and go up the left side. Carmine, you're with me."

The Latino nodded. "Alright man. Let's go Anderson," Dom said as he headed towards the ladder. The female bit her lip in slight hesitation, staring at the sergeant with nervous eyes. Marcus frowned and narrowed his pale blue eyes at Anderson in just the right away, like a parent would to a child. She got the message quickly enough and stumbled off after Dom.

Marcus turned his attention back to the rookie gear. "Right, move out Rook."

Carmine stared after Anderson for a moment longer before he dropped into place beside Marcus. Marcus brought his steel blue stare onto the rookie. The squad leader could not ignore the way that he acting towards Anderson. He had always known that the rookie was attached to the medic but he had not been aware of how much their connection had deepened in such a short space of time. Marcus could sense it. The soldier within told him that they could not afford such distractions, that Anderson or Carmine could easily perish within the Hollow. He knew he should have taken Carmine aside and given him a lecture about squad fraternisation.

But he didn't.

He simply settled for a friendly warning. Marcus knew it was not their fault. They were just kids – the pair of them. Carmine especially. The young rookie – like so many others – had been pumped full of growth and stamina hormones just to survive. Gods knew what it must have been doing to them mentally and physically.

Marcus watched and waited until the newly formed Delta Two had disappeared through the tunnel completely before he looked to the young Gear. Sometimes Marcus wished that the Carmine did not wear a helmet. He would have been so much easier to read without it. The kid hid his expressions and fear behind a mask of steel.

"Rook?"

"Yeah Sarge?" answered Carmine, sounding chipper as per usual. Nothing seemed to dampen his spirits.

"Listen, about Anderson..." For a moment, Marcus had no idea what to say. There was very little he could say.

Carmine carried on walking a steady pace next to the squad leader. "Yeah? What about Anderson? She's nice isn't she?"

"Just...Be careful with her alright?" Marcus did not how else to word his warning.

"She's my friend Sarge. Don't worry, I'll look after her. I won't let anything bad happen to her." Carmine insisted, missing the point entirely.

Marcus focused on his steely eyed stare squarely on a Locust tile on the ceiling. The bare faced truth was complicated. "That's what I'm worried about," he murmured to himself rather than the young gear before they continued down the darkened corridor, the shadows ready to swallow them up whole.

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 17:56  
**Current Location: **Locust Hollow, 300 metres below surface

"We haven't really had a chance to talk since you joined Delta have we?" Dom remarked as they passed through yet another Locust archway. The rest of Delta travelled the path below them, cutting through the shadows while Dom and Jennifer travelled on the left hand side.

Jennifer jumped at the sudden fracture in the comfortable silence. "Not really Dom...uh I mean Corporal Santiago. Sir." Her tongue knotted nervously inside her mouth. She was not used to speaking to Dom on a one-on-one conversation and had no idea how to respond.

"Whoa, calm down Anderson. It's just Dom okay? Sir makes me feel too old." He gave her a smile that managed to quell her anxiousness

Jennifer managed to return one. "Okay Dom."

Appearing satisfied, Dom turned his full attention back to the Locust pathway and led her through the corridors with such apparent ease as if he had been navigating them his entire life. The female looked around at the architecture, her mouth slightly agar with a rather unladylike fashion. She stopped again to run her fingers across a rectangle of stone upon the Locust walls. The dents formed into broken words and phrases that were familiar to her. Everything Jennifer had learnt about the Locust language had come from reports and files from Corporal Baird and he very rarely made mistakes so she trusted in his translations. She was dimly aware of the fact that Sergeant Fenix had told her off already for lingering behind and that she was indeed supposed to be marching through the tunnels but prospect of examining the Locust carvings was too good to pass up. Translating them made her feel useful for once, made her feel valued.

The commando suddenly appeared at her side and Jennifer could not help but tense up. She fully prepared herself for another scolding.

But Dom – who was apparently packed with more surprises than a magician – simply placed a hand on the rocky dents. His dark eyes scanned over them briefly.

"What do they say?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested.

Jennifer looked back to the flat rock and milky marble. She reached up to trace the thick ruins, trying to spell them out inside her head. "Some of them...they tell stories about the Locust...Worms...Gold lifeblood...Oh and something about... Judgement day."

"Judgement day huh?" Dom said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I can't make out the rest very well. Corporal Baird would have a better understanding of it I think."

"Maybe a recon team will come down here later and get some tracings. Right now, we should probably get moving or we'll fall behind Marcus and Carmine."

The medic gave an eager nod. She was anxious to be reunited with the remainder of the squad. She had grown accustomed to their presence and without the rest of the squad, she felt very alone. "Right." Jennifer dropped into place beside him and followed him down another Locust corridor. For the most part, the ghoulish surroundings had vanished. The floor beneath her booted feet was smooth and there were no signs of the black water that she had come to fear. Jennifer was surprised at just how neat and tidy the Locust outpost was. The female had been expecting bodies and blood everywhere but saw neither apart from the ones Delta left at the front door. Apart from a few mine carts and dark steel boxes, there was very little out of the ordinary.

And it was too quiet. Jennifer was somewhat unnerved that the silence of it all. She looked to Dom. If he were as unnerved as she, he did not seem to show it.

He was unnerved enough to talk up another conversation with her. "So, what's up you and Carmine?"

Jennifer almost stopped dead but caught herself just in time. A red flush appeared on her cheeks at the very mention of the rookie's name. She had not been aware that the rest of the squad had noticed. The medic gave herself a little shake, frowning to herself. Of course they had noticed. Gear squads were always looking out for each other. She was foolish to even entertain the idea that they would not have noticed her increasingly growing attraction to Ben Carmine. She could not quite fathom it herself. She didn't know where it had come from either. Her feelings of affection had just sprouted up – quite literally – over night.

"Nothing up," Jennifer replied. She knew she did not sound the least bit convincing.

"Doesn't seem like nothing to me. Carmine is pretty taken with you." His tone held a smile that caused the medic's blush to deepen.

"W-we're just friends okay?" Jennifer did not know who she was trying to convince more, herself or Dom. Her thoughts about the rookie Gear were jumbled and she had no idea what to make of them.

Dom gave a laugh as he led her through another marble archway. "Yeah, sure you are."

Jennifer dipped her head, sure that her cheeks were bright enough to chase the shadows away.

It was not long before Delta Two arrived in a wide, open balcony that overlooked a wide area below. They could hear the loud bangs of a Troika turret being fired but neither of them could see one. "Dom, we're pinned by a Troika just below your position. Can you get that Rock worm moving for us so we can get across?" The sergeant buzzed in Jennifer's ear. The female nearly jumped right out of her skin. She almost forgot she was even wearing one. Jennifer looked to the ceiling and could see three or four of the glowing red fruit that they seen earlier. In the area below, Delta were crouched down out of the Troika's lead fire; completely pinned and unable to advance further. A snake of solid rock and flesh appropriately dubbed a Rock worm snorted in the dust, seemingly uninterested and indifferent to Delta's suffering. It was perfectly content to just nibble a patch of brown grass.

"I'm on it Marcus, hang tight," responded Dom. The Latino aimed his Lancer towards the ruby red orbs and a few well place shots had the fruit hitting the ground below with juicy little plops. They caught the creature's attention just as expected. Jennifer peered over the edge of her perch as the Rock Worm scuttled on forward to eat up each piece of glowing fruit. Delta crept forward under the cover of the rock clad snake, their heads bowed low to avoid the bullets of the turret. Jennifer's heart jammed in her throat as she stared down at Delta one from her perch. She did not like seeing Carmine in danger. She did not like seeing Sergeant Fenix in danger.

Suddenly, she heard a vicious snarl and Jennifer tore her gaze away from Delta One just in time to see Dom get dog pilled by four wretches that had appeared from a side door to the left. The Latino gave a yelp in surprise rather than pain as he unexpectedly hit the tiled ground beneath their feet. "Shit! Shit! Get off me!" Dom yelled as he forced the jaw of a Wretch from a bicep. Jennifer pushed off the ground onto her feet with every intention of helping Dom but fear made her sluggish and more clumsy than usual. She felt something whoosh by her booted feet and swiftly found herself on the ground as well.

With a snapping Wretch perched upon her chest plate.

Jennifer wanted to scream. She really did but complete fear and horror made her cry nothing more than a rasp and froze her limbs tight. In a strange out of body moment, Jennifer marvelled at just how many teeth a Wretch had. She had never seen one up close before. It was so close to her face that she could have easily counted each one of its razor sharp teeth. Open jaws hissed, caked with drool and other organic matter that Jennifer did not want to think about. The Wretch had white eyes that were dull like a stillborn calf and lacked any intelligence. It pawed at the white chest plate, scratching its long claws against the steel. It was almost sad that it was the last thing the medic would see before she was reduced to an unsightly stain upon the Locust's clean tiles.

Navy blue eyes clenched shut and Jennifer waited for the end that was surely to come.

But it never came.

Instead, the Wretch exploded all over her.

Jennifer felt the weight on her chest plate disappear. She opened her eyes and could see nothing but red. Blood was all over her glasses in thick, raspberry coloured globules. She could barely see in front of her. The girl reached up a hand up to clear her lenses but she only smeared them worse. She heard the sound of a shotgun being discharged several more times before it was cut off by silence.

Dom suddenly loomed over her. Jennifer could just barely make out his shape through her stained glasses. "Anderson? You okay?"

The medic nodded and managed to sit up despite her trembling limbs. "I think so. What just happened?"

"Pack of Wretches. Didn't see them coming," Dom replied.

Jennifer fished around the pocket of her belt for the piece of cloth she kept for cleaning her thick glasses and wiped off the blood from the outside of the lenses. Dom appeared properly in her vision, one large hand clamped over a bicep. Jennifer could see the blood leaking from between his fingers.

The girl stood up. "Please, let me have a look at that."

The Latino lifted his hand from his wound and gave a wince. A large bite mark stood out against his skin, the flesh torn and shredded around the edges. Ugly, thick trails of red snaked down his arm. Jennifer stared at the wound, not as repulsed as she thought she would have been. It would need stitches that much was for certain and she wondered briefly when he had last had a shot. Wretches carried more diseases in their mouths than an open sewer.

"When did you have a Tetanus shot last?"

"A few years ago now."

"You should be okay. I think you need stitches for this though." Jennifer placed a hand onto his arm and leaned in to examine the wound further. To her great relief, it did not appear as if any veins or arteries had been punctured, just the skin. She suspected it would not take very long to sew back together.

"Can't it wait?" Dom asked, sounding anxious.

Jennifer felt herself frown and looked back to the bite mark again. "No, I'd like to do this now. It will get infected if I don't and you could get sick," the medic explained, keeping surprisingly firm grip upon the Latino. "I can get it done really quickly if you let me do it now," she added quickly.

Dom dithered between the two options. "Okay then, if you really have to," he finally gave in.

The female let a hand drop from his arm and unclipped one of the many pockets from her belt that contained a supply of surgical tread and needle. She swiftly set to work, dabbing here and pressing there with a practiced gentleness that had painstakingly developed over the course of her three year medical training within the COG. Navy eyes focused on the wound, mentally tracing a stitch pattern and calculating how much thread would be required. Jennifer let her hands work, fairly certain that they knew what they had to do. It was the first time that day that they did not tremble. Dom barely even winced as she stuck the needle through his tore skin and gently pulled it back together. He just watched her movements with a lack of interest, as if he had been through it all before and knew exactly what to expect.

Jennifer's brow furrowed and subconsciously, the tip of her tongue stuck out between her lips in intense concentration. She was so caught up in her task that the medic did not notice the sudden change in Dom's facial expression.

"Wow." the Latino suddenly stated, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

The medic looked up, abruptly alarmed. She was so sure she had been doing everything right. "What? Is something wrong?" she asked, her inferiority complex rearing.

Dom shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong. You just looked like your brother for a moment."

She froze. "I did?"

"Yeah. I served with him once."

Jennifer felt as if she had just swallowed a mouthful of hot coal. "You did?"

"Yeah. Me and my squad mate Griggs were in trouble when he showed up out of the blue. Your brother was a pretty awesome guy." Dom paused then brought his eyes up to her face. Jennifer stared back, completely at a loss at what to say. Her hand froze in mid-stitch for a second before she caught herself. "I know," she replied, looking down at the wound.

"You look a lot like him. In fact, You're a spitting image of him. I'd peg you to be his sister."

The medic focused on keeping her voice steady. It was all she could so to prevent herself from bursting into tears. "I'm not. If I was his sister then I wouldn't be useless." Even to her own ears, the answer sounded pathetic.

The Latino raised an eyebrow, his expression suddenly unreadable. "Useless? Who put that crap in your head?"

She gave an audible gulp. Unbidden, an image of Damon Baird reared inside the medic's head and chilled her skin with goosebumps. Jennifer knew it was stupid but she could not help herself. She feared him more than she did Marcus Fenix. The Sergeant was simply frightening because he was so huge and imposing and spoke as if he was constantly annoyed. Corporal Baird was scary because he was so cruel, cutting and always succeeded in making the medic feel three inches tall. It was unfair to blame the blonde entirely, many others had commented on her skills – or rather lack off that she could probably recite them all but his comments stuck out above them all because they were all completely true. "Lots of people can't be wrong Dom," she answered, forcing her hands to work again.

Dom gave a snort. "Lots of people can be wrong kid. I think that's half your problem sometimes. You care too much about what other people say. Who gives a damn about what they say?"

Jennifer's throat went dry. How could she explain that she was the last of a proud military family that spanned back several generations? How could she explain that she had grown up listening to tales about her grandfather and father who had served in every war and that the same was expected of her? The Locust had scrubbed out everything else about her family except from their intense pride in their history.

Jennifer had to give a damn about what other people said. It was written in her genetic code. Her blood was as blue as her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

The female gave a heavy sigh. "Everyone expects me to be just like William, just like my dad. Just like every other Anderson but I'm not. I'm nothing like them. I didn't fit in anywhere." She could not bear to look at the Latino in the face.

"Everyone says that about their family. We all feel like that at one point." Jennifer could tell from the tone of his voice that he was a stranger to such situations.

"My dad hated me. He told me that he would have had a DNA test done if I hadn't looked so much like him. He was certain that he wasn't my father," Jennifer explained. She knew it sounded cliché but she did not care in the slightest. It was the truth. Even nearly five years later, the memories were still vivid in her skull. The shame still made her skin prickle with heat. Her legs still trembled in his rage.

"Where was your brother in all this?" Dom's voice held an edge of disapproval.

"He was at War. He wouldn't have cared even if he was there. He was Dad's favourite after all. The poster boy for the COG after they tore down Sergeant Fenix," she responded, pulling the last thread on the Mattress Stitch. "He wasn't there when I needed."

"He cared for you Anderson. I know he did."

In a small act of bravery, Jennifer jerked her head up to meet his stare. She was surprised – though she knew she should not have been – to find Dom staring at her with a deep look of sincerity and hurt for her. Jennifer was dumbstruck. It was strange to see such an emotion being directed at squarely at her. The little medic was not used to such attention. "How do you know?"

The Latino was still for a moment and looked as if he wanted to say something else but he didn't. "I just do," he stated finally.

The medic's eyes narrowed in a rather uncharacteristic fashion but she said nothing in response back. She did not know Dom well enough to assume that he was lying.

After a few more moments of silence, the girl stepped back from the Latino to survey the stitching. "There, that should be okay for a little while." Jennifer was surprised with herself. The patch job had turned out better than she had anticipated.

Dom flexed his arm. "Not a bad patch job kid." He reached for the Lancer and slung it back over his shoulder along with the shotgun. "Right then Anderson, let's get going. Marcus is probably way ahead of us by now."

Jennifer gave a nod and followed on behind the Latino's mass right into the next open corridor.

And right into open pair dived into cover seconds before bullets peppered the space they had been previously occupying. Jennifer felt her heart stop then start again.

_"You're late!" _yelled Sergeant Fenix over the Tac/Com. Jennifer was amazed at just how loudly his voice dominated her skull. Somehow, he drowned out the barks of the heavy gunfire.

Dom crouched down beside Jennifer's ear. "Wait here and don't move until I tell you!" It was the last order Dom barked at her before Jennifer lost him in the battle.

Against all possible odds, Delta Two managed to work their way up the battlefield under the heavy cover of Sergeant Fenix and Carmine. Jennifer was not entirely sure how she managed to survive the hellish twenty minutes, only that she did and thanked whatever god that happened to be listening. She had crawled under the hiss of lead and listened when it pinged and thumped against her rocky cover. Dom shouted instructions to her and Jennifer obeyed each and every one. She was surprised at how quickly she had been able to move under fire. Jennifer had been deathly terrified but she did not stop. She trembled and shook and did not stop quivering even when Sergeant Fenix funnelled two clips into the last Boomer and had given the All Clear.

Jennifer watched from her cover as Sergeant Fenix gave the body of the Boomer a kick for good measure. "Everyone alright?" Sergeant Fenix did not even bother looking up, only pausing to reload his Lancer. It was as if he knew his squad would be alright but he was just going through the motions of asking.

"Yeah, I'm good Marcus."

"Me too Sarge." Dom and Carmine approached from the left after raiding the dead bodies for supplies. Humans could scavenge just as well as Locust when the situation called for it. Jennifer looked towards her commanding officer. The Sergeant was busy stripping another Locust that was sprawled out near a set of giant doors of a revolver. The Drone would not be needing it anymore. Sergeant Fenix then straightened up and turned to face Jennifer. He was an imposing sight with his Lancer dotted with blood and armour dappled with coppery speckles. He stared at her with his white blue eyes so startling that Jennifer was sure they could see right into her head. It was a struggle for the medic not to shrink back in fear as he walked towards her.

Sergeant Fenix paused by her side, dropped a package of brown leather he had scavenged from the Locust into her unsuspecting hands then moved on to examine the heavy doors wordlessly. With Curious eyes and trembling fingers, Jennifer tugged at the tan cord to reveal a small collection of sealed, sterilised needles and a few shots of much needed morphine. The medic smiled and slipped the packaging into her pocket. She looked to Sergeant Fenix pulling on a large door mechanism and her respect for him grew. Despite how much he terrified her, he always looked out for his squad.

With a signal from the squad leader, Jennifer fell into line with the rest of Delta against the massive stone doors. They were to take cover against them and move as the doors slid apart in case there was an ambush on the other side. It was smart thinking and something that would have certainly not occurred to the little medic. Again, she was glad for Sergeant Fenix's guidance.

Jennifer waited next to Carmine was a held breath. A thin line of light formed in the middle of the dark marble slabs, coupled with a loud rumble as the Locust mechanisms ground together. The girl could practically feel the vibrations through her teeth. Stone crushed and scraped against stone as the huge slabs split apart to reveal another gaping Locust cavern. Jennifer looked around with open mouthed awe as Delta moved cautiously through the cave. The cavern was huge and looked as if it had been formed rather recently. Only half of the tunnel had been completed and there were various sets of construction equipment left lying about in a careless fashion. More of the container pods they had found earlier were present but they were all empty. It was almost as if the Locust had abandoned the new tunnel in a hurry, not even bothering to pick their tools as they left.

It was not a boding sight or thought. There was very little that the Locust could be afraid of.

Off to Jennifer's right, the rookie let out a whistle through the vents of his helmet.

"Wow, look at the size of this place! It's bigger than a Thrashball court!" exclaimed Carmine. He stamped a booted foot down onto the half completed Locust tiles and sounded off an echo that seemed to last forever. It made Jennifer shiver inside her pearly grey armour. Her nerves were shot to pieces and she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on before she collapsed to the ground and wept in exhaustion and terror. Sergeant Fenix gestured forward with a wipe of his gloved hand and cautiously, Delta made their way through the empty chasm with bated breaths. The atmosphere was so tense that when Carmine tripped over a rock, the rest of Delta collectively jumped and raised their weapons. "Watch your step Carmine," growled Sergeant Fenix, his eyes searching out into the yawning abyss for any signs of an ambush. Navy blue eyes peered out too but Jennifer could see nothing but rocks and darkness.

Perhaps it was better that way. She had enough nightmares to deal with.

They were no more than twenty metres into the cavern when Delta simultaneously heard what sounded like the snarl of jungle cat that had been amplified at least three hundred times. It was so piercing that Jennifer felt as if someone was driving a knife into her skull. Locust screams just always seemed to hurt. Delta squad leapt into cover just as great beast dropped down from the upper shadows. The floating, long-limbed monster roughly six or seven times larger than a Reaver and glided through the air as if it was swimming. Metres and metres of thick, greenish hide covered the expanse of the creature's body and was studded with glowing mechanical implants and cords of steel. A metal, horn-like structure – gleaming in the dull cavern light – was mounted upon its massive head and looked sharp enough to carve titanium like a holiday roast.

The medic meanwhile trembled beside Dom, too afraid to even breathe. She peeked over the edge of her cover, just enough to see monstrous beast snarl and snap at the air impatiently with teeth larger than her entire body. Perched upon the huge metal saddle was the same Locust that had attacked the Assault Derrick, the same nightmarish vision that smouldered on the surface of her brain. Jennifer's eyes darted to the rest of the squad and found them to be staring with just as much shock as she was. Sergeant Fenix's white blue eyes were wider than she had ever seen before and Dom's jaw was practically touching the dusty tiles beneath their feet.

Jennifer turned her attention back to the floating fiend. The Locust rider suddenly gave a gurgling hiss and shouted out something in his bestial tongue that Jennifer did not understand. For a wild and truly frightening moment, Jennifer was sure he had spotted Delta in their feeble hiding places and was certain he would turn those teeth towards them and swallow Delta up whole. However, his mount did nothing more than rear upwards like a horse bucking and surged on through into another tunnel. The medic released a gulp of oxygen she had not realised she had been holding and was almost ready to collapse with relief when the worst happened.

Following up behind the horned Reaver was a sight that would haunt Jennifer for the rest of her days. A gaping black hole of nothing but teeth exploded out through the thick rock, bringing with it showers of boulders and earthquakes that would have felled the mightiest mountain on Sera. The moving barrage appeared so quickly and suddenly that Jennifer could not even register what exactly she was seeing. Miles after miles after miles of dark stone just bulldozed past her wide eyed vision like a tube train sailing through underground tunnels. It took a few more moments mind-blowing disbelief for Jennifer to realise that the rock was not actually rock at all, but rather scales that were so hard and jagged that they looked like rock. Delta were staring at a living, breathing creature that made the giant Rock Worms look tiny. "Oh shit," whispered Carmine from behind his own cover, stating what the rest of the team were thinking.

Hours seemed to pass before the earthquakes lessened and the wall of moving stone eventually shrunk down into what Jennifer assumed was the tail. Even the back end was spiked with Gear-sized boulders. Jennifer was amazed that anything that huge could move so fast. In the wake of the massive worm was only destruction and gasps of thick, granite infused dust that made Jennifer's eyes itch painfully.

While the rest of squad rose up from their cover on uneasy legs, the medic stayed rooted to the spot. Jennifer's stomach vibrated to the point where she felt the need to hurl but she did not dare open her mouth."Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" exclaimed Carmine over the loud rumbling of stone collapsing. Dirty great chunks of ceiling caved in the wake of the giant snake.

Sergeant Fenix pivoted on his foot and pressed his Tac/Com hard. "Control, do you read me! Are you seeing this!" For the first time since Jennifer had been forced into Delta's ranks, she clearly heard the disbelief and shock in Marcus Fenix's voice.

Lieutenant Stroud of Control answered the Sergeants call and patched her message through to the entire squad. Jennifer cupped her ear to block out the sound of the cave crumbling. _"Rodger that Delta. We've also just received top-side confirmation that Ilima city...Damnit, the entire city has been sunk, right at your position,"_informed the Control operator, the shock evident in her voice.

"Anya, it's a giant worm! They're sinking cities with a giant worm!"

Jennifer gave a nod in approval. Yes. That about summed it all up in one sentence.

Giant worms were defiantly _not _covered in Basic.

* * *

Maria awoke with a start. She sat up, her heart pounding so wildly that she thought that she was having a seizure. The woman blinked quickly, trying to clear the cobweb of sleep from her green eyes. She could not determine just how long she had slept or what time it was. Maria knew very little apart from the fact that she had slept very well for the first time in many years. She was support on a strange stone structure that was similar to a bed but it was so soft and warm that Maria thought it was made of pure foam.

As her eyes adjusted into focus, Maria could roughly make out her rather bizarre surroundings. She was in what she assumed was a study of some kind. Many books – Locust and human alike – were carefully placed upon a dozen rock shelves on the wall opposite. The walls were beautiful; craved with geometric squares and studded with little glowing stones. An ornamental desk made from polished marble and blackwood sat just next to the bed. A collection of paper, quills and other various little knick knacks had been arranged upon the smooth marble surface. Many models of Locust and human military vehicles hung from the ceiling on strings of wire; their details intricate and precise as if someone had spent some time piecing them together.

Maria had been admiring a wooden model of what looked like an older version of a King Raven, a Kingfisher, when her Locust suddenly appeared in the room as if he had been watching and waiting for her to wake up. She felt uneasy at the very thought and sat still, not breathing a word. She had no idea what to say.

He was the first to break the silence. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did." She reached a fist up and rubbed her eyes. "How long was I asleep for."

"Not long," he answered, as if that was explanation enough.

"Ah." It was all Maria could sum up at that present moment in time. She looked around the room again, complete at a loss for words "This is lovely room," she managed eventually.

The Locust's features flickered slightly, his face unreadable. "Yes. It was my Natus's room."

Maria quirked her head. She was not familiar with that particular word. "Natus?"

"He was, what you human's would say, my son."

Emerald green eyes widened in surprise. She had no idea that her Locust owner had a son. Hel had not mentioned him and Ragnarok's home had no indication that anyone else lived there. "Your son?"

Ragnarok nodded in his usual neutral manner.

Maria tested the waters. "Where is he? Does he live here?"

The Locust looked back to the human model. "He perished on the surface many, many moons ago."

The female very nearly opened her mouth to offer him sympathy when she suddenly remembered that she had lost her own children to his kind. Maria thought of little Benny and Sylvia and her heart ached for them. She remembered how she felt when they were gone, how she stumbled from one day to the next in a constant, drug induced daze. Maria could not even remember why on earth she had run away from Jacinto – and Dom – in the first place. To her, it seemed like such good idea at the time. She stared at the Locust until he blurred into the background. She tried to imagine the creature before her with offspring; handling little white Locust was gently as Maria would have handled her own children.

The thought should have scared her, but it didn't and she could not think why.

"I lost my children too. It nearly killed me," Maria admitted, the words burning in her throat. It tore her heart all over again just to admit that they were really dead and gone.

"I am sorry for your loss."

She felt a rush of sorrow and suddenly, she ripped the blankets from her body and lurched to her booted feet with a surge of courage. "Why am I even here? Did you bring me here to remind me of my dead kids?" Maria spat, her insides screaming.

"That was never my intention."

"Hel said you want my help, that the Lambent wanted my help but I don't even know why! I would sooner be back at that horrible camp with your brother! What the hell do you want from me?" Maria asked, her hands trembling. She wanted to hit him and run. She wanted run right out of Nexus and not stop until she had thrown herself in Dom's arms.

The Locust blinked once at her, cool intensity in his yellow eyes. He was seemingly unfazed by her outburst and her anger appeared not to concern him. It was hardly the reaction that Maria was hoping for. "Tell me, do you know of the word faith?"

Maria stared at him, caught somewhere between the highway of astonishment and disbelief. The angry evaporated from her in an instant and she flopped back down onto the bed. "Faith?" she repeated in case she had misheard him.

Ragnarok finally sat down in the desk chair near the bed and laced his large, white fingers together. He looked very out of place next to the books and paper

"Yes. Faith and peace is what some of my kin want."

Rage run through Maria's veins again. "You went to war with my people, slaughtered hundreds of thousands and torture hundreds more. How can you want peace from us?" she flared with anger.

Ragnarok remained calm even as Maria struck him with heated words. "Our queen went to war with the humans yes but there is a reason why." Ragnarok looked to the models dangling above the desk. "The queen has gone to war with the Groundwalkers because she no longer has any faith."

"What? What do you mean?"

Ragnarok brought his eyes back on level with hers. "I believe that Lambency is the next stage of Locust evolution, that it is what we are destined to become. Many of our kin believe as I do and have tried to reason with our queen, convince her into accepting the way of Lambent. She refuses to listen and therefore, the queen must be removed from power."

Maria froze, eyes wide with disbelief. "You want to kill your queen?"

The Locust Drone gave a nod. "It is our intention. She will not come peacefully."

"Isn't that treason?"

"Yes."

"That seems very risky," Maria said boldly with a surge of courage

Yellow eyes narrowed at the human. "Change rarely comes peacefully. I am certain that even your kind has had similar methods in the past."

The female thought for a moment. Some part of what he said made sense. Humanity had warred with each other since the dawn of time. Power struggles tore Sera apart and not one centaury had gone past where assassination was not attempted on those in power.

"But what about the rest of your kind? Surely they don't all want to kill the queen."

"Many of them are blinded by their bestial urges and fooled by our government. They cannot make decisions for themselves. We must do it for them."

"Can't you try talking to the queen about this?"

Ragnarok tipped his head back and a succession of low rumblings escaped his throat. The dark haired female stared at him and it took her a few moments to realise that the Locust was laughing.

"If only it were so easy. She chooses to be deaf to our words. The queen views my kind as an infection."

"Like a disease?"

"Some would call us that. They are foolish and have narrow minds."

"So the Lambent, are they like enlightened or something?" Maria asked, her curiosity aroused.

Ragnarok bowed his marble grey head forward. "Some are."

"Some?"

The Drone looked away and focused his stare on the wall opposite. His Locust features were twisted into what Maria thought was almost regretful. "Our Imulsion has caused some of my kin to become...abominations. They lose their spirit and become an empty vessel that knows only hate and destruction. Hel says that it is because they do not have faith in the Imulsion. Our god lives in the Imulsion, waiting for us."

"What do you do with them?"

"Exterminate them. There is little else we can do for them." Ragnarok answered.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?"

The skin where an eyebrow should have been raised slightly in a very human manner. "Perhaps."

Maria's face twisted into a frown. "This doesn't sound right Ragnarok. Isn't there some other way?"

"There is very little about this world that is right." His stare shifted back onto the models hanging above the desk and he seemed at bit sadder. "So very little. I am certain that you understand this."

She did.

Very much so.

For a moment, the pair were silent as Maria struggled to figure out what to say or do. Her head swam with so many maddening questions that she didn't know which one to ask first.

So she focused on the most important one. The one that had been gnawing away at her sanity since the prison camp, since Ragnarok had whisked her out of that horrible place.

"I still don't see what this has to do with me," Maria said.

Ragnarok finally looked back to her, his intelligent eyes missing nothing. They never did. "You are important. It will be you who will help the Lambent and human meet in the middle grounds."

The human's mouth dropped open in surprise and shock. Maria was not even entirely sure that she had heard him correctly. Perhaps her mind was more far gone than she feared? "Me?" Maria repeated

"Yes. Much depends on you."

Maria wet her chapped lips. "But why?" She hated the way her voice sounded, so weak and tiny.

"You are brave. You are fearless even whilst you faced danger at the hands of my brethren."

If only he knew that the only reason Maria was brave and fearless was because she had nothing left to lose. Everything loved and special had been taken from her already.

"I'm not any of those things."

"No? My brothers seem to think so Munnnaki. Though many hate humans, they were impressed with your bravery."

The female narrowed her eyes. The pieces didn't quite fit together. They never did when the Locust were involved. "There were plenty of other brave humans in the camp. I saw them killed in horrible ways. Why am I so special?" Maria did not bother to hide her suspicion. She was long past caring.

Ragnarok caught her tone but did not acknowledge her statement. Locust did that often it seemed to Maria. When they met arguments or confrontations that they did not like, they either blanked them out completely or attacked the humanoid in question. Maria was confident that the latter was – for the most part – unlikely.

"You have a mate do you not?"

Maria froze. She had had no idea that Ragnarok knew about Dom. "Yes," she finally answered.

"He is called Dominic Santiago yes?"

Shocked stole her voice and all Maria could do was nod numbly. How on earth did he know?

"Your Dominic." Dom's name sounded strange upon his Locust tongue. "He is a member of the human squad Delta, lead by Fenix. They have damaged to the queen's power and her grasp slips from us. Delta killed the Tyrant RAAM. Their interference has done much to further our cause even if they do not know it. They were sent to deliver us from this evil. I am certain of it." Ragnarok leaned forward in his chair. "We require their aid in removing the Queen from power and we would give much in exchange. Our weapons. Our Knowledge. Anything. What is ours, we shall give."

What the humans wanted was something that the Locust could never give back. Maria knew it all too well. Her emerald orbs narrowed into slits. "You still have not answered my question. Where do I fit into this?" Ragnarok had been avoiding her question for far too long and Maria was sick of it. The female was determined to get a straight, riddle-free answer from the Locust even if she had to pull it from his fanged mouth.

The Locust looked at her as if it was the first time she had asked such a question. "You will be our messenger. We will take you to Delta and you will give them our proposal then you will be free to go if you desire." Ragnarok paused to watch for a reaction from the human.

Oddly enough, Maria found that she was having no reaction. She felt completely numb, as if she had been sitting in a tub of cold water for several hours. "You would let me go? Just like that?"

"Despite what the humans may think of us, we are warriors. We honour our word when it is given."

Maria stared with intense shock, finding the concept difficult to grasp. "How can we trust you? Trust the Lambent?"

The creature looked pointedly at her. "Is that not the entire meaning of trust Munnnaki? You trust me do you not?"

It took a moment for the idea to sink into her mentally exhausted mind and when she was finally about to respond, a knocking at the door attracted their attention. The Locust female stood gingerly – there was just no other way to explain it – in the doorway of the room. She looked uncomfortable; her Locust features pained as she stared into the room that Maria now knew belonged to her son.

"Ragnarok, Shale has arrived. Shall I send her through?" Hel said, looking distant and far off.

The male Locust looked towards his mate. "Yes, we shall speak with her now."

Hel nodded and disappeared back into the darkness of the Locust dwelling without another word. She just seemed to move so silently and swiftly, almost as if she were floating. Maria marvelled at the gracefulness that was beyond any ballerina and wondered briefly how something so large could move with such poise and grace.

Moments later - before Maria even had a chance to breathe – another Locust entered the sleeping chamber. It was female, that much was for certain and moved with a strength that was very different from Hel's graceful float. She was tall and just seemed to fill up the entire room. She was snow white like Hel but had splashes of grey here and there; like watercolour paint on pristine white paper. Inky, clan markings were painted upon her explosed arms. The new Locust wore a knee length tunic much like Hel's underneath a Locust chest plate. Three or four belts stitched with pockets were slung around her waist, heavy with ammo. She was supported on legs encased in leather greaves and her feet were adorned in heavy boots that were larger than Maria's skull and could have crushed it without any effort. A torque bow and Hammerburst were slung over her back. It was the first female warrior that Maria had seen to date.

The newcomer surveyed Maria with what the human assumed was disgust before turning her attention onto Ragnarok. Maria gathered her face into a forceful frown – or at least she hoped it was forceful.

"Is this It?" The Locust female addressed Ragnarok.

"Yes, this is Munnnaki." Ragnarok shifted his yellow eyed stare back onto Maria. "Munnnaki, this is Shale of the Cadash House. She is a great warrior of our people."

Maria looked at the massive creature and could easily picture her on the battlefield. She did not look as if she belonged anywhere else. Maria felt so little and dwarfed by her mere presence. "Hello," she managed bravely, threading her hands through the clumps of blankets in a vain attempt to keep them from trembling.

Shale moved her eyes over the small human; the orange orbs taking in every detail of her tiny frame. "Are you sure that this is It? Is It really as strong as you say Ragnarok?"

It took a few moments for Maria to realise that the Locust was referring to her as the "It", an act of disrespectfulness that made Maria feel little more than a farm animal on sale at a market.

It then occured to her that was what she truly was in the eyes of the Locust. She had been bought by Ragnarok after all.

"Yes Shale."

Shale looked expectedly at Maria. The human female was not entirely sure what to do. She felt small and tiny the presence of the Locust warrior.

"Shale you will take Munnnaki to the surface to find Delta," Ragnarok stated.

The lump in Maria's throat came unstuck and she looked to the female Locust and found little indifference on Shale's face. A set of rich, amber coloured eyes stared back at her with neither malice nor kindness. It was an expression that she was not used to seeing on a Locust face. "When?" Maria asked, eager to be free of the Locust and their mind games. Though the deal seemed too good to be true, Maria knew she had very little choice.

"When the time is right," answered Ragnarok in his usual, mystical manner.

Maria felt herself cock an eyebrow and from the corner of her eye, Shale caught the movement of skin. The warrior looked almost amused for a moment. "You speak riddles Odin'Ragnarok, not answers," the female Locust.

"In riddles, there is truth," Ragnarok replied. He was certainly a man of faith.

"I am surprised that It can understand you at all Ragnarok. You are made of nothing but hot air that it is a wonder that you have not floated away."

"Truly your warrior heart has dulled your brain if you cannot appreciate the knowledge in riddles," the male tossed back.

Shale gave a Locust equivalent of a snort and tapped one foot impatiently. It was an action that Maria herself had done countless times with she had been irritated with Dom and he had hated it because he was sure that her heeled sandals would scratch the tiles. "I did not come here to listen to your nonsense Ragnarok."

"No? Then why have you come?"

Shale's eyes darkened. "To inform you of disturbing facts that have come to my attention. There are some things that you cannot ignore for much longer Ragnarok."

A flicker of fear crossed Ragnarok's face for a moment before it disappeared back underneath his unreadable Locust expression. His yellow eyes rested on Maria for a moment before they shifted back onto Shale. "We should speak of this elsewhere," Ragnarok said, indicating towards the threshold. Shale nodded and turned on her booted foot without so much as another glance Maria's general direction. For that, the human female was grateful. She was not entirely sure she could have handled Shale's presence pressing down on her like an invisible weight much longer.

Ragnarok rose from the ornate desk chair. "You should rest now. you will need your strength back for when Shale takes you to the surface."

"I don't think Shale likes me very much," Maria stated, wrinkling her nose.

"Shale does not hate you. She is simply fierce because it is in her blood. She can do nothing else." He paused for a moment. "Shale is the last of Blood of House Cadash. General Cadash'RAAM was killed by Delta and though she is sided with us, Shale is reminded of him every passing day by the Locust. She has endured much. Do not blame her."

"Why does she side with the Lambent? Does she even believe in the Imulsion as you do?" the dark haired human asked, generally curious.

Ragnarok shook his head. "I know not. She simply came to us and pledged herself our cause. We turn none down and Shale is a daughter of influence in the High Court."

Maria's brow furrowed. "Sounds very suspicious."

"Perhaps but Shale has never done anything other than protect us. Shale desires freedom. I am confident that she will help us." Ragnarok's eyes betrayed the mystic smile he plastered across his Locust face. "Fear not, rest. We shall speak more of this later when you are properly rested." The male Locust disappeared through the stone archway and left Maria alone, her head swimming with darkened thoughts. It was not until he pulled the heavy wooden door shut did Maria finally move. She pulled her legs up to rest her chin on her knees and wrapped the blanket around her body. With Ragnarok and Shale gone, she could finally break down in private without being judged or evaluated for weaknesses. It was all to too much for the human female.

She was so busy sobbing that she did not notice the door open. It swung open softly to reveal the Locust Hel, carrying a marble tray of stew and some kind of bread roll. "You need to eat more. You have very little to weigh you down to this earth," Hel said softly and handed the tray to Maria. Too weak-willed to push the tray right back in the Locust's face, Maria accepted the offering and unfolded her legs to support the tray on her lap. "Thank you Hel. This smells lovely," Maria responded truthfully. The human peered at the Locust and – now that she knew the truth – was finally able to see the grief in Hel's humanoid face.

She had seen it so many times before, staring back at her in the mirror of her bathroom.

"Hel?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

Maria swallowed down a spoonful of stew and looked to the Locust, finally able to see a shred of humanity in the eyes of another lost mother.

"Tell me about your son."

* * *

**Finally got around to tweaking my lambent plot so it kinda fits in with what we know in Gears 3. I want Ragnarok to believe that the Imulsion is a god of some kind and that Lambency (however gruesome the outcome) is the next stage of Locust evolution. He (and many others) will firmly believe in this. At least this sort of fits in with Gears 3.**


	7. VII: Dirt, Dust and Death

**Thank you Epic Games for releasing Gears of War 3 and reminding me why I love the series.**

**Yes I know, it's been over a year since I last updated (And I am so fucking rusty at writing GOW stuff) Apologies readers. I could sit here and list excuse after excuse but I can't and won't. The only plausible excuse is that I lost inspiration for this for a long time because I was finishing school and doing finals. I'm done now and taking a gap year before I go to university.**

**I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed and supported this story so far. I could list you all to but it would take too long now. Without your input, this update (however rushed) would never happen. You all know who you are. Thank you so, so much. You guys make my day all the damn time and words cannot explain my great joy when you give me feedback.**

**Big thank you to Judge Magister Fermus for listening to me talk about this fic. Without him, it would never exist. Forever grateful bro.  
**

* * *

**Gears of War 2**: Crimson Cross

**Chapter Seven**: Dirt, Dust and Death

"**You are the only "you"  
Till now and from now on  
Even if there comes a time  
When the whole world becomes our enemy  
I'll protect you  
So don't give up, single flower"**  
High and Mighty Color **- "Ichirin No Hana"**

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **CP-D.B.345-010-170-666  
**Current Time:** 18:23  
**Current Location**: Locust Hollow

Baird did not appreciate being dragged along the gravel like an old backpack, especially not by an armed Locust Drone. He had bruises upon bruises and his back felt as if someone had been playing on his spine like a xylophone. His Locust captor had hog-tied the blonde Gear after Baird had made it perfectly clear that he was not coming quietly. The Drone – whom Baird had named "Thick-It" – smelt strange and had serious personal space issues.

"Can't you walk a little gentler you great lump?" Baird snapped, trying to mask the rising dread that was crawling up and down his back. Thick-It looked down, regarded him through a pair of orange eyes but carried on walking his regular pace. Apparently, the Locust didn't seem to think that Baird's comfort was all that important. Baird snorted at the indignity of it all and gave another rebellious little wriggle just to spite his Locust captor. Baird swivelled his eyes to the remainder of his squad. Cally and Tanner had been captured as well and were alive as far as he could tell. Baird could roughly make out Cally's brunette head a few metres in front – her tired body flopped over the large shoulder of another Locust like a sack of potatoes. Tanner was sandwiched in between two Boomers, his face very grey and twitchy. Baird wasn't sure where Cole was. He knew the former Thrashball player had fought his way out to find help and was headed towards Ilima City.

And as for Maxwell, nobody knew.

No one wanted to know.

Baird closed his eyes for a moment and tried to think, his thoughts racing each other. Nothing made any remote sense. He should have been dead; squashed under the boot of a Locust Drone or something equally grisly to that affect. But when the Locust had cornered Sigma One, Baird had been surprised to find himself taken prisoner. It broke all the rules of the unwritten Locust handbook. The Locust just never took prisoners. Baird assumed that the concept really had not occurred to them. He had been certain that the Locust viewed humanity as an unsightly stain that needed to be eradicated with quickly. Baird snorted to himself. They weren't doing a very good job. Bleach would have been more effective.

It was not until Baird felt himself being dropped did the blonde open his eyes. Sea green hue cracked open to survey his surroundings. He and the rest of his captured squad had been taken to a part of the Hollow that Baird did not recognise. The area was tiled with Locust stone and contained a hundred or so steel pods that looked large enough to house even the biggest of Gears. Cole could have been easily slotted inside without a problem. He could hear the dull moans and distant screams of pain in the background. The sounds turned the blood in his veins to ice. Baird looked around nervously, the sweat starting to bead on his forehead as his mind starting putting two and two together. The Locust squad were opening up the pod-like cages and were proceeding to usher Sigma squad into the holding cells. Cally was shoved none-too-gently into the holding cell, her terrified eyes disappearing into the dark.

Baird felt his resolve buckle. The blonde fought the urge to step back, his legs trembling inside their padding as ice cold reality of the situation sunk it properly.

He was properly fucked.

A finger prodded hard against his shoulder and Baird craned his neck around to meet the orange eyed stare of his Locust captor. Baird swallowed and deepened his scowl in defiance, determined to hide his fear behind sarcasm. It had worked most of his life so far.

Thick-It gave him a second prod and pointed towards another open containment pod that Baird assumed was his. "Pod. Now," breathed the Locust, his breath strong enough to strip paint. Baird wrinkled his nose and looked towards the steel pods. The darkness did not look terribly inviting.

"But it's dirty. And not fit for someone of my stature," the blonde pointed out, determined to keep a brave front on. If he didn't then who would?

Thick-It let out what Baird was certain was a snort of amusement.

"Go." The request was coupled with a third prod. Baird threw a glance towards Tanner – who had been twitching and clenching his fists the entire time that Cally had been rough handed into the Pod. Steel eyes stared back at Baird, uncertain and petrified beyond belief. Tanner had always been the wild one, the man who very rarely thought things through. He would throw himself into danger willingly to save a companion and often left Baird snorting at the stupidity of it all.

But now, Baird did not find it the least bit amusing. The blonde knew the look that Tanner wore very well. It was usually accompanied by something incredibly dangerous and very stupid.

And how right he was.

"No Tanner! Don't! – " Baird was cut off as Tanner pivoted around on his booted foot to land a rock hard punch into the nearest Locust that happened to be a rather bewildered Drone. The mechanic heard the sickening snapping of bone – though he could not pinpoint which party it had come from. The Locust collective was stunned with surprise. From the expressions on their faces, they had clearly not been expected the gear to land a hit. Tanner kicked out against the decked Locust and went for the Boltok pistol strapped to the side of the stunned Drone. Before the reckless Gear could use his stolen weapon, Tanner was jumped by three more Locust soldiers. They just piled up on top of him to the point where Baird could not distinguish where he was. All the blonde could see was grey speckled skin and leather straps. "Hey! Get the fuck off him!" Baird shouted, his bravery returning with bells and whistles.

The entire time, Baird had forgotten that Thick-It was standing behind him. When the blonde took a step forward, Thick-It had slipped his trunk like arms underneath Baird and hauled him back from the commotion; one arm pressed over Baird's windpipe. "Let me go you fucking mudlicker!" the blonde hissed, struggling for all he was worth. The Locust Drone was taller than him and lifted him off the ground easily.

Thick-It tightened his grip upon Baird painfully. "You demand much human! Unless you be still you will suffer the same fate as he!" the Drone hissed, his words clipped and broken as if he had some difficulty pronouncing them. Sea green eyes widened in surprise and shock. The blonde had certainly not been expecting his Locust to speak Tyran. He did not think their language went beyond grunts and snorts.

"I said get your grubby Locust hands off me!" Baird snapped back with a pull of courage, his eyes trained upon the struggling Tanner. Two of the Locust guards hauled the private to his feet, a bust lip and swollen eye decorated his face.

A third Drone moved in front of him, Hammerburst ready and loaded. Tanner stared the rifle down, his trembling visible. Time suddenly slow down and before Baird could utter another protest, the Drone raised his weapon and shot Tanner dead between the eyes.

And just like that Tanner was gone.

No warning, no drama.

Nothing.

Blood exploded from the entrance wound, painting the ground below a sick dark red. The private's body went instantly limp between the two Locust. An instant kill. They dropped him to the ground like a sack of potatoes without another ounce of fuss. Baird stared at the body, feeling utterly numb and cold. The fight had drained away from him and when Thick-It shoved the blonde into a darkened capsule, Baird did not protest. The door slammed shut and the darkness seemed to swallow the blonde up completely. For several seconds, Baird stood in pod until his legs buckled and he slid down onto his ass with a heavy crunch. The blonde slid his gloved hands through his hair and looked up through the air cracks. He could see the dust and light filtering through. "I hope you fucking hurry up and get help Cole. I'm not dying in this fucking craptank," Baird said to himself. He reached into a pocket attached to his belt and withdrew a screwdriver.

At least he had a plan B.

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 18:23  
**Current Location**: Ilima City

"This is...This is horrible. Oh my god," whispered the rookie Gear somewhere from behind.

Jennifer felt lost amongst the destruction.

Everywhere her navy eyed gaze turned, Jennifer met the sight of chaos and pandemonium. It emptied the breath from her lungs and brought tears to her lens-clad eyes. Beneath her booted feet, residual tremors pulsed and vibrated beneath the earth, a sure indication that the great worm was still nearby. She could hear the screams and howls of the survivors in the distance, blurred together in gunfire. Bright orange fire burned in great arches, billowing with thick black smoke that just seemed to sit over the ruined remains of the city. Spires of shattered concrete and cement spiked up towards the darkened sky. The acrid scent of burning plastic, smouldering flesh and scorched wood was so thick upon the air that had the young female gagging.

"If they sunk Tollen, Montevado and now Ilima and they all surround Jacinto..." Dom trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence. The entire squad was thinking the same thing.

"Shit. They are punching holes around Jacinto to sink it," growled Sergeant Fenix, leading Delta through the crumbling wreckage of the city.

The thought left Jennifer drained, physically and emotionally. Stress from the entire situation made the young medic feel as if she were about to come apart the seams. An image of the worm reared up in her mind again; Ilima city disappearing in a mouthful of teeth and being swallowed into a dark pit. All those people, gone in a heartbeat. The medic shivered inside her armour, feeling cold despite her thermal layering. Never had she felt more hopeless and when a particularly strong tremor toppled the medic to the ground, Jennifer was not entirely sure if she had the courage or willpower to get back up again. She wanted to just curl up and die somewhere.

Carmine – though still shell shocked – heard Jennifer crumple to the ground and turned back to help the little medic as he had done countless times. Some part of Jennifer wondered what on earth she had done to deserve such a person watching out for her. Her mind could not make sense of it at all. The rookie was six years her junior but seemed to have a strength and confidence that was years ahead of his time, years ahead of her.

"Hey Anderson. Come on, get up. We have to stick together and stay with the Sarge," Carmine insisted, slipping a hand under her elbow and hoisting her back onto her shaking legs. Surrounded by nothing but black clouds and orange flames, Jennifer found the glowing of his teal visor to be very comforting. She corked back a sob and looked forward to the Sergeant. His face was a storm of different emotions. He led them through the rubble carefully and quietly, as if he still expected something nasty to leap out on Delta. Jennifer doubted that anything was left alive in the wake of such destruction. "Keep together Delta, could be Locust here," Sergeant Fenix warned as if he had been listening to her thoughts. She should not have been surprised. The sergeant's steel white eyes always seemed to be able to see right through her skull. Jennifer felt herself shiver and caught up to Carmine. She always that tiny bit safer in his presence.

Suddenly somewhere overhead of Delta squad, a King Raven spiralled – there was just no other word to describe it – into view from the thick black clouds; the back end completely ablaze. The helicopter spun out helplessly, the counter-rotating blades slicing through the air wildly as the pilot frantically radioed through to squad on the ground below. _"This is KR-Five Four, I'm hit! I'm hit!"_ Seconds later, Jennifer heard an almighty crash coupled with a blast of fire erupt some distance away from Delta squad.

Sergeant Fenix immediately pressed a pair of fingers to his ear. "Control, KR- Five Four is down in the Ilima sink hole. We're on route over."

"_Roger that Delta. Ilima was evacuated but keep an eye out for any surviving stranded just in case,"_ replied Anya Stroud, sounding very calm all things considered. It was a miracle that the blonde managed to hold herself together. Jennifer felt a rush of admiration for Stroud, a woman she had never ever met. She must have had nerves of steel.

Fenix removed his hand from his ear and motioned forward to the rest of the squad. "Wilco control. Come one Delta, let's get to that downed Chopper. Everyone got enough gear?" Sergeant Fenix shifted his gaze onto Jennifer and frowned slightly. The medic shivered again. She hated being directly in his gaze as he always made her feel very tiny in his shadow. Blue eyes too white to be natural were trained upon the standard issue Snub pistol at her hip. "That all you got?" He nodded his do-rag clad head towards the weapon. It was scuffed and bore marks of previous combat use though Jennifer herself had never fired the weapon. It was much like everything else she owned – hand-me-downs from other Gears.

Jennifer held up the pistol for inspection. "Y-yes Sergeant Fenix. I...don't have anything else really."

"Shotgun?"

"I-I lost it somewhere. I-it fell off my back I think," the medic answered, her gut weighted down as if someone had put bricks inside her stomach.

Sergeant Fenix ran a palm over his gnarled face in obvious irritation. Jennifer could practically hear his thoughts. She was sure that he was cursing his bad luck and wondering what on earth he had done to deserve someone like her in his squad. Jennifer had seen the same expression countless times before.

But the Sergeant straightened up and reached for the back of his armour. Jennifer watched with curiosity as he unclipped his own gnasher shotgun. For a wild and insane moment, Jennifer was sure that the Sergeant was going to shoot her right then and there and end his suffering – and hers. But instead, just wordlessly as he had handed the girl medical supplies, he dropped the shotgun into Jennifer unsuspecting hands. The young female was stunned beyond words and could manage to stare dumbly at her commanding officer. "Stay in cover. Only use this as a last resort," Fenix stated, the warning evident in his gravelly tone. The medic gave a tiny nod, surprised beyond words. "Yes Sergeant Fenix." For the grizzled man to give her his own weapon spoke volumes about his character. He wanted her to be safe, to stay safe. At least for a while. Jennifer clutched the weapon to her armoured chest, eyes wide behind thick lenses. Sergeant Fenix surveyed the female for a moment longer, gave a grunt then turned to face the rest of the squad.

"Right Delta, let's move out!" Sergeant Fenix motioned forward. Jennifer looked to the smouldering city and shivered. The prospect of going into the city made her sick, like standing on the edge of a huge and unexpected drop. The girl swallowed and followed on behind Carmine, keeping her eyes focused on the glowing teal lights on his armour.

The squad made its way through the fire scorched earth and crumbling buildings that threatened to give way any moment. Jennifer sucked in a breath of scorched air and tried to ignore the smell of burning plastic and the distant howls. She could not block it out at all. The heat from the flames and the sound of wood crackling as it burned made it impossible. She felt the sensation of something light sprinkling over her face and thought for a wild moment that it was rain.

It wasn't.

The medic touched her cheeks gingerly. On her gloved fingertips was a faint dusting of crushed grey speckles. Ash, Jennifer concluded as she rubbed her digits together. She wiped the fragile grey flakes from her face and looked ahead on into what remained of Ilima City. More clouds of ash rained down upon the burning ruins. Jennifer's heart quivered beneath her breastplate and she felt a fresh rush of fear. It were as if the gods themselves were weeping black tears for the lost city. Soon enough, they would all be drowned in them. She swallowed, fearful of the prospect and jogged to catch up with the rest of her squad. She didn't want to be left behind with the ghosts and warm ashes.

"Help! Help!"

Jennifer had been wiping the ash from underneath her glasses when Delta heard the cry for help. It was close and drowned out all the other distant wails. Delta squad responded by picking up the pace, Sergeant Fenix leading the charge through the burning city in the direction of the outcry. Jennifer was not entirely sure where she was going and she was fairly certain that the sergeant didn't know either but that hardly seemed to deter him. Jennifer wished for that kind of courage.

In a gap between shards of rock and twisted metal, something alien cantered into view of Delta squad. It was large and bulky; the body twisted into something Jennifer did not recognise. It used its muscular arms for legs and moved at a speed that did not seem possible. What Jennifer assumed were the "true legs" were not really legs at all but rather shrivelled limbs with razor sharp talons that were longer than Jennifer's forearm. Perched upon the back of the creature was a Locust drone armed with a Hammerburst rifle. The bipedal creature reared at the sight of the human squad, letting out truly feral roar that practically liquefied the innards of Jennifer's belly.

"They've got Bloodmounts down here! Watch their reach!" Sergeant Fenix went straight after the beast like a big, grizzled hunting dog. Instead of teeth, he had a revved Lancer. The rest of Delta followed him through into an open space riddled with smoking car remains. Jennifer slid into cover behind an upturned jeep, trembling inside her armour as Dom and Carmine fanned out, taking positions behind slabs of concrete a few yards in front of her.

A civilian weaved through the cars towards the squad of gears. A horde of white skinned monstrosities were in hot pursuit of him, snarling and howling in their barbaric language. "Back there! Locust are killing everyone back there!" he shouted frantically as he ran past the COG soldiers.

Jennifer watched as Sergeant Fenix popped out of his own cover to let out a barrage of bullets in the direction of the approaching Locust. "Watch your fire around the civilians," he shouted over the mechanical snarling of his lancer. Two more weapons joined the chorus of his weapon. It was a symphony of rifle fire that left Jennifer's teeth ringing. The metallic _ping_ of a bullet striking near her forced the medic back into cover with a squeak. Her hands flexed around the borrowed shotgun, her palms white and sweaty in her gloves. Staying crouched behind the upturned car from the murderous volley, Jennifer could not see the battle but she could picture it vividly from the sounds alone. Unseen rifle fire painted the picture in her head. _Crack! _A Longshot from Carmine's sniper took the head clean off a Locust Drone. _Boom!_ A well placed grenade took the legs off another. _Crack! Crack!_ The blast from Dom's shotgun splintered the ribcage of a dappled grey chest.

For the next half an hour, Jennifer crouched and hid behind upturned cars as Delta steadily squad pushed forward through the ruins of Illima city. They cut through Drones, Reavers and Bloodmounts. She marvelled at the utter wonder of that was Delta squad. They seemed to act as a single entity in stemming the tide of the Locust. Dom was a wingman to the squad leader, covering Fenix's blind spots with shrapnel blasts from his shotgun. Carmine had the kind of raw skill she envied and craved. His right eye stayed glued to the blue scope of his Longshot, scouting out targets. The rounds from his sniper rifle were becoming increasingly accurate to the point where the rookie gear was landing three or four headshots in a row.

Segerant Fenix, however, was incredible. His shots never seemed to miss their targets. He possessed a cool head and an unyielding amount of courage that stemmed from his back bone of steel. Despite the sheer terror and fear that corrupted every cell in her body, Jennifer felt a huge rush of admiration for the grizzled sergeant. She wanted to be just like him someday – strong and swift and brave.

A soldier the COG needed her to be.

The soldier she wanted to be.

She had been so busy admiring the grizzled sergeant that Jennifer did not see the stray Bloodmount until it was upon her. She did not even have a chance to scream. The sensation of something large and hard rammed into her with the force of bulldozer. The shove sent the small medic spiralling out from behind her cover, knocking the wind from her lungs. Jennifer landed on her stomach with hard crash, her bones aching dully from the impact. Her shotgun flew out of her grasp, landing a few feet away. The medic looked up and found the Bloodmount turning for another charge. She opened her mouth to scream for Delta but sheer terror stole her voice. All she could do was stare dumbly at the beast while it pawed at the ground and readied for another round. Statistically, Jennifer knew she should have been dead already. The knowledge that the Bloodmount was just toying with her left the medic feeling as if ice had replaced her blood. There was no Delta squad to help. They were all preoccupied by the other Locust.

She had to deal with this herself.

The Bloodmount charged her again and Jennifer rolled out of the way just in time to see its hand-like feet plummet hard against the space she had previously occupied. The medic rolled right across the Gnasher and much to her own surprise, she reached out and grabbed it. Crouched on the ground, Jennifer readied the weapon in her trembling hands. Adrenaline rushed against her skull, the blood pounding in her ears. She mentally told herself that she could deal with it, that a Bloodmount was no less terrifying than Corporal Baird.

But as the beast charged, Jennifer found that her fingers had become nothing but lumps of unresponsive flesh. The Bloodmount rammed her again and this time, the medic screamed hard and loud.

Jennifer crashed into the ground again, the Bloodmount right on top of her. Multiple eyes glowed out of the pitch black helmet, freezing the marrow in her bones. Talons slashed inches above her head as the bipedal beast started to gnaw at her white plate. Jennifer felt a stabbing sensation in her arm and did not have to look to know it had dug one of those razor sharp talons into her arm. She screamed again, more in shock than pain. The fight or flight instinct that Jennifer was sure she did not have suddenly kicked into gear. She rolled and wriggled beneath the Bloodmount, dodging teeth and talons. "No! No! Get off me!" she yelped, her fingers trying to find the shotgun again. She did not want to die at the claws of Bloodmount. Her fingers coiled around her weapon and a hand that suddenly did not feel like her own smashed the gun against the Bloodmount's head. Jennifer heard the metallic _clunk _of steel slamming against did it again and again until the side of the ebony helmet caved into a large dent. The beast howled in rage and indignity that this one little unremarkable human had caused it undue pain. It exposed a mouth of sharp, razor sharp teeth in her face then let out the oddest roar that Jennifer had ever heard. To her pounding eardrums, it sounded almost exactly like a chainsaw being revved up.

Then the beast just split apart. There was just no other word to describe it. It was as if someone had cut the seams that held the Bloodmount all together. Metallic teeth of a chainsaw bayonet cut through the flesh of the creature from behind. Something warm and wet splattered against her face, dripping down over her lips. When she let out a surprised gasp, Jennifer tasted the all too familiar metallic tang on her tongue. Blood and a mixture of glistening internal organs dropped out on the small medic, painting her armour dark red. Jennifer was so horrified that she could not even breathe. She simply sat stunned amongst the gore and guts as the carcase of the Bloodmount was pushed aside with a heavy boot.

Ben Carmine lowered his Lancer, breathing hard. To the small medic, his blue visor the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her entire life. She could have cried with relief and very nearly did. The rookie gear crouched down next to her. "Anderson. God, are you okay?" Carmine asked as he wiped the blood from her face with a gloved hand. His movements were gentle and careful, as if he were worried that the young medic would shatter any second.

Jennifer stared up at the young soldier, feeling like nothing more than a pile of yellow jelly. "I-I think so."

"Can you move?"

The medic twitched her limbs and concluded that nothing was broken. "Yeah." She sat up carefully and what Jennifer suspected was a kidney dropped into her lap in a bloody mess. It took all her willpower to stop herself from vomiting up her own guts. If Carmine had been a few seconds too late, it would have been her kidney glistening on the ground. The realisation of what had almost just happened caught up with her and before her psyche could stop her body, Jennifer reached over and coiled her arms around Ben Carmine. The urge to feel safe overwhelmed the medic entirely and all she could do was cling to him.

Despite the fact that Jennifer was covered in gore, the rookie circled one of his arms around the small medic. "It's okay. I've got you," he said, holding her trembling form. Overwhelming gratitude swelled in her throat and tears burned at her eyes. Behind the cover of a upturned car, Jennifer clutched him tightly, desperate to calm the terror that still pulsed in her veins. "Gods, if you hadn't shown up Carmine..." she trailed off and proceeded to sink into a pit of self-pity and loathing. "I-I'm really just useless. Maybe I should walk back to Jacinto now then I wouldn't be a problem to anyone anymore," she sobbed against his chest plate.

"Anderson, that's not true," the rookie insisted, his sincerity audible through the vents of his helmet.

Jennifer was not convinced. "It is true. I hate being me. Sergeant Marko and Corporal Baird are right. I'm useless. I wish I was someone else, just anyone else but me."

The rookie gear looked down, regarding the small female clinging to him. "You aren't useless. You're pretty and smart and kind. You try so hard to save people and stop them from hurting. Why would you wanna change that?"

Jennifer craned her neck to meet the glowing teal visor. She could hear the compassion upon his tone. In that single moment behind a maze of upturned cars, the medic realised that the affection she held for Carmine was no longer the same kind that she held for Dom or Sergeant Fenix. Somehow, it had changed without her even realising it. "Carmine..." the medic breathed, feeling her heart pound against her ribcage. Suddenly, she was all too aware that his arm was curled around her. She felt safe and secure – commodities that had been missing from the medic for quite some time. Jennifer could not help but notice that she seemed to fit so well within his arms, as if she was designed to nestle in them. So close was the young medic that Jennifer could have kissed the rookie's helmet.

The medic wriggled from his embrace before her body took control of her brain again and did something stupid. The battlefield was not the time or place for it. Her cheeks a rosy pink and felt hot enough to fry an egg. She cursed her pale complexion. It was so inconvenient sometimes.

"I'm sorry...I just..." Jennifer stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Carmine scratched the nape of his exposed neck that typical nervous fashion that she found so endearing. "It's okay...You're nice to hug ya'know? Right the right size," he replied. The medic could hear the smile upon his tone and imagined him grinning beneath his helmet. He reached out and rested his large, gloved palm upon her knuckles gently. Jennifer's stomach gave a little flutter. The expression "butterflies in your stomach" finally made sense. She felt as if she had swallowed an entire field and they were trying to escape. "You're nice to hug too," Jennifer admitted, the words escaping her mouth before she could gulp them back down.

"Rook? Anderson? Where are you?" came the sudden loud, annoyed call of Sergeant Fenix. Both rookies jumped and looked at each other. He squeezed her hand gently before he shouldered his Lancer and stood up.

"Over here Sarge!"

The medic scrabbled up behind him in a none-too-ladylike manner just as Sergeant Fenix walked into view, followed closely by Dom. They both sported handfuls of the ammo clips and various supplies pulled from dead Locust.

Sergeant Fenix approached the pair of younger gears. Steel blue eyes surveyed the young female, noting the heavy blood stains upon her armour and the Bloodmount carcase on the ash covered ground. "Everything alright?" The doo-rag clad man was looking squarely at her, his pale blue eyes focused on her face. Jennifer fidgeted under his gaze. She felt as if she were being x-rayed. Could it be possible that the Sergeant with eyes of steel see the chaos of her thoughts? The medic looked away and concentrated on the ground instead just in case he could.

"Yes sir Sarge. Anderson was just taking care of this Bloodmount that managed to slip past us," Carmine answered cheerful, giving the slain beast a nudge with a booted toe. "Think you can be sneaky sneak and get us past huh?"

Sergeant Fenix threw the pair a sideways glance, eyes narrowed as if he did not quite believe them. Thankfully, the blue eyed man did not push the subject. He motioned the squad forward with a flick of his wrist. "Well good work Delta. This location is secured. We're moving up to the next base so get ready."

Jennifer exhaled the breath she didn't realise she was holding. She was not entirely sure her scattered nerves could take an interrogation from Sergeant Fenix. The medic dropped into place behind him as Delta pushed up through the ruins. Delta's damage spanned far and wide. Dozens of Locust corpses were scattered out upon the ash covered ground; their bodies stripped clean of vital supplies. Has Jennifer stepped gingerly over a Locust body (that had had its ribcage blown apart by a shotgun) she marvelled at the efficiency of the squad all over again.

Her admiration for Delta increased tenfold, as did her desire to be just like them someday.

It was not until Jennifer was climbing over a bullet chipped boulder did she realise that Carmine had called her "pretty" and despite the dust and the dirt and the death around her, the medic felt herself smile.

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 19:00  
**Current Location**: Ilima City

Marcus was not entirely certain that Anderson and Carmine were telling the truth about what happened with the Bloodmount. Mad dog eyes darted back to the pair of rookies following closely behind Dom. He watched as they glanced at each other when they suspected that no one was looking. Marcus noted with some interest the dusting of red upon the cheeks of the little medic. It was an all too painful reminder to Marcus that they really were just kids after all.

The sergeant growled and pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. He made a mental note to deal with that later. He could not have his soldiers getting too distracted – especially with each other. _"This is KR- Five Four. Raven Down...I've got Charlie Nine. Locust approaching our position. Requesting assistance." _Marcus's Tac/Com whistled in his ear. The sound of the open fire was audible through the crackling device. He pressed a finger to his eardrum, his facial expression grim. "Copy Five-Four, Delta's on its way." Marcus looked over his shoulder at his clearly fatigued squad. "Keep moving Delta! That pilot doesn't have much time," he hollered back at them, breaking into a jog that he was not entirely sure his body could handle. The sergeant felt as if the muscles beneath his armour were about to snap any second from fatigue.

The Tac/Com buzzed again, feeding another signal through from a different channel. A much deeper, all too familiar voice filled Marcus's eardrums with warning. _"Yo Delta! Cole here! Locust have ambushes all over._ _Stay away from the downed_ _chop-"_ The line frizzled into silence, leaving behind lonely static.

Marcus felt his gut drop. He pressed the Tac/Com harder and cycled through the channels, searching out for the former Thrashball players voice. "Cole, do you read? Cole!"

"He's gotta be close if we're hearing him," remarked Dom as he fed a couple of shells into his Gnasher shotgun.

The sergeant couldn't shake feeling of foreboding that squeezed his gut. "Yeah, let's hope so." The do-rag clad leader looked up to the flaming horizon ahead. A billow of smoke punctured through the orange sky, surrounded by shards of splintered rock and metal. "There's the smoke flare Delta. Head that way and stay ready. We aren't the only ones following that trail," Marcus called out before reaching up to wipe the sweat just seemed to drip down his forehead, carving a path through the layer of ash upon his skin.

"W-what was that soldier saying? Something about staying away from the chopper?" Anderson piped up from the back of the group, her expression troubled. Marcus glanced back at the raven haired medic, his blue eyes narrowed. It was the closest he had ever heard to a protest from the young medic. Her fear was written plainly across her doll-like face. She looked as if she were about to burst into tears any second. Marcus sincerely hoped she wouldn't. He was not entirely sure he could handle a crying female in a battlezone.

"We can't ignore a mayday call Anderson," he replied sternly.

Anderson looked as if she was going to swallow her own tongue. "I-I know sir, I-I was just thinking that's all. W-what if it is a Locust ambush?" she squeaked, looking down at the borrowed Gnasher shotgun she held in her tiny grasp.

Marcus opened his mouth to make an attempt to quell her fears when a loud explosion ahead made the sergeant swallow his words back down. Rock and dust exploded from a newly created hole on the mountainside, obscuring the battlefield. Marcus heard the all too familiar roar and steeled himself for the worst. The bony, spider-like limbs of a Corpser flashed into view in a truly menacing way. Corpser legs always put the sergeant in mind of human fingers and the thought never failed to send a chill down his spine. The creature loomed into the light for a few seconds before it disappeared back into the darkness of the cave it had just created. No sooner had it disappeared did a drawbridge drop down between the cave and the mountainside. A throng of Locust soldiers positively spilled out from the cavern like blood from an open wound. Marcus counted at least ten or twenty.

The sergeant took a deep breath and reached for another clip from his pack. He jammed it hard into his Lancer as he slid behind the nearly granite chipped wall.

"Concentrate fire on that tunnel Delta!" Marcus yelled, popping up from behind his cover to empty his new clip into the nearest Locust. His Lancer flashed and growled the bullets slammed into the exposed torso of the unfortunate Locust. A fountain of blood exploded from his chest and the Drone dropped dead to the ground like a bag of rocks. He tumbled down the ramp, knocking into another two or three Locust Grenadiers. Marcus smirked at the chaos he created between the Locust ranks and took aim again through the holographic sights of his Lancer. "Dom! Suppression fire!"

Dom flanked left, his Lancer growling as he sent forty rounds of hot lead into another Locust Drone. The rook hung back from the battlefield as far as possible with Anderson, his sniper rifle pitched up slightly for direct headshots. Marcus glanced back through the sights just to see another dappled grey monster lose his head in a spray of blood and bone. Marcus had to give the youngest Carmine credit – the rookie did have skill with the Longshot.

The irony of it was not wasted on the sergeant.

The sergeant took aim at another Locust Drone only for his bullets to miss as a Reaver shattered into the ground a few yards away, sending violent vibrations right up his armour clad body. The Reaver hefted itself back into its wiry, yet powerful limbs and started to stomp towards Delta squad with single minded determination.

Marcus felt his gut clench and checked his Lancer. He did not have nearly enough ammo to cut through the rock hard armour of the Reaver. "Dom! Carmine! Keep those fuckers suppressed! I'll get the Reaver!" Marcus yelled at his squad. They obeyed without question, spraying the battlefield with bullets in an effort to keep the Locust Drones distracted. The squad leader readied his Lancer and rolled towards the stomping, spider-like creature. Marcus knew what he had to do. If he could get under the Reaver, he would have a clear shot of its exposed underbelly.

If he didn't get speared by one of its scalpel sharp limbs first.

The squad leader rolled past the stomping legs of the Reaver, using his greater mobility to get around the beast. He rolled again and again around the Reaver in attempt to get underneath it. Marcus heard the Reaver roar at him in rage and Marcus pivoted on his booted heel to avoid being lanced by a leg. He circled the Reaver, lancer raised and waiting for his opportunity. "Come on you bitch, I don't have all fucking day," the sergeant growled in challenge. It took another vicious swipe at him and Marcus stole the opportunity to roll through the weaving, wiry legs. He scrambled up from the ash covered ground and was met with the sight of the Reaver's pebble scaled belly. Above him, the beast stamped and gave a throaty roar in obvious frustration at Marcus's vanishing act. It stomped forward and Marcus moved with it, staying directly beneath the pinkish underbelly. "I've got you now," Marcus growled and raised his Lancer. With a squeeze from the trigger, thirty or forty rounds embedded themselves in the Reaver's exposed flesh. Blood cascaded down from the entrance wounds, splattering across Marcus's heavy armour. His mind screamed in victory. The Reaver let out a howl of pain, the limbs shaking. The sergeant ran out from under the beast just before it collapsed into pile of dead meat.

Marcus wasted no time admiring his handy-work and slid back into cover next to Dom. He shoved a fresh magazine into his Lancer and looked over the chipped stone block. The Latino and the rookie had dealt with the Locust very quickly indeed. Dozens of Locust corpses were littered across the ash covered ground. Marcus scouted out the battlefield through his holographic sights and swiftly concluded that the area was secure. He holstered his rifle and motioned for his squad to regroup. "The Raven is on the other side of this building Delta! Keep moving!" he yelled at his squad as he descended down an embankment. Dom and the two rookies followed down behind him, rifles raised. The sergeant could see a short cut through the smouldering ruins of a house and motioned forward to Delta.

"Through that archway there Delta," he commanded, reaching up to wipe the sweat and ash from his gnarled face. The building was still on fire and the heat was almost unbearable. Marcus felt as if he were about to melt inside his armour completely. The sooner Delta found the raven, the better. The sergeant led them through the crumbling archway, keeping his grip tight upon his Lancer and ignoring the sensation of sweat running down his neck.

Dom moved ahead and found a shortcut through a structure that wasn't completely on fire. "Marcus, through here," he called, crouching in front of the open doorway with the snout of his Lancer raised. Marcus looked up at the building. Mad-dog blue eyes spotted the thin smoke trail from the downed Raven. "It's in here Delta." The sergeant scouted forward and found himself in what was once a block of office apartments. Dom and Carmine fanned out at either side of him. Anderson followed gingerly behind, keeping far enough back for her own safety.

The sergeant glanced around the building. In the furthest corner, Marcus saw a great blaze of fire and his heart sank. He did not have to look any closer to know that the pile of twisted metal blazing in the flames was the missing Raven. He had not been fast enough to save the crew and it hit the sergeant harder than any bullet.

Another life gone, just like that. Another family to mourn their missing soldiers.

Marcus reached a gloved hand up and pressed his Tac/Com gently. "Control, KR - Five Four and Charlie 9 KIA. Delta out," he said regretfully then closed the channel quickly. The sergeant looked to his squad and pushed his regrets to the back of his mind to deal with them at a later date. He still had Carmine and Anderson to look out for – and they were a challenge and a half. "Get back inside the building. We're sitting ducks out here," Marcus ordered. Delta squad retreated back and spread out into cover. Marcus raised his Lancer and peered through the holographic sights at a walkway directly opposite his cover. He heard the sudden roar of a Locust ambush and clipped the safety off his rifle. Anderson was crouched near him, her eyes large and fearful behind her glasses.

"Ambush!" yelled Dom. The Latino bolted down behind cover just before a shower of Hammerburst bullets peppered past him.

Sure enough, a squad of armoured Locust just seemed to jump out on Delta. Marcus's eyes jerked from corner to corner, searching out targets and mentally tallying them up. His biggest concern was ammo. Without ammo, they were all utterly at the mercy of the Locust army.

He could not let that happen.

"Take cover!" Marcus popped out of his cover and fired at Drone nearby. He was careful to fire in short, sharp bursts to conserve his quickly dwindling ammo supply. The squad leader clenched his jaw as another Locust dived behind cover to avoid barrage of bullets from his Lancer. The environment made it difficult for Marcus to get a clear shot at them.

"They're closing in! I'm almost out of ammo!" shouted Carmine over the gunfire and streaks of zigzagging light.

"Fuck! Me too!"

Growling in frustration, Marcus ducked down behind his cover and reached into his side pack for another magazine of rounds. His fingers brushed against the bottom inside lining of the pack and he realised that he only had one clip remaining. Marcus felt his gut give a painful squeeze and the cold rush of fear washed over him. The situation just seemed to go from bad to worse. He pressed a finger onto his Tac/Com. "Keep hitting them hard Delta! Control! This is Delta, we need backup ASAP!" he shouted over the radio. Gunfire flashed angrily at Delta from every direction and for a brief second, Marcus finally thought he was about to meet his end for trying to save Charlie 9. To the sergeant, it was entirely unfair.

Marcus flicked onto the local channel in one last ditch attempt to gain control of the situation. "Mayday! Mayday! This is Delta at the Ilima sinkhole. Any squads in the area mayday."

"Sergeant Fenix!"

The squad leader looked across at Anderson – whom he had almost entirely forgot was there. She was crouched low on the ground with the dust and dirt, keeping utterly out of sight from the Locust. In her small hands were several full clips of Lancer rounds. The medic had been collecting up ammo like a little squirrel would collect nuts. She looked straight at him and shoved them across the divide between their cover. Marcus threw her a grateful look and slammed one of the magazines into his Lancer. He popped up from behind his cover and levelled his Lancer at a nearby Grenadier. Before Marcus could squeeze the trigger, the Locust was gunned down by another.

The chorus of fourth Lancer joined the battle. "Oh yeah! Take that all! Yeah baby yeah!"

Delta squad collectively looked up at the banister walkway above them and Marcus felt a wave of relief wash over him. He recognised that voice anywhere. "Come get some! Come get some! Yeah, Cole's here, baby!"

The Locust soldiers were retreating and hot on their trail was none other than Private Augustus Cole. Marcus watched as the burly, six foot four man charged straight at the grey skinned monsters. Cole slammed his Lancer into the belly of a Locust Drone and hefted the beast right over his broad shoulder with ease. A Cyclops launched for the former Thrashball player with a loud, indignant roar but Cole was faster. He pivoted around the Locust and Marcus saw his arm dart out, coupled with the flash of a frag grenade. Cole aimed and fired a direct headshot at the final Drone just as the grenade detonated in a brilliant display of flesh and bone. He made it look so very easy.

Augustus Cole looked over the banister in triumph at them, a great big grin plastered across his face as if he was having the time of his life. Marcus sometimes forgot he was a deadly soldier. "Nobody plays this game like me! Nobody!" he shouted down at them. Like Carmine, Cole had a good mood that was just infectious. The squad leader could not help but smile.

"Cole!" Dom shouted out with a raised Lancer, sounding as relieved as Marcus felt.

"Cole? As in 'The Cole Train?" asked Carmine.

"Yeah!"

"Woah! Awesome!"

The former Thrashball player gave a bow, the flames dancing behind him adding to the effect. "Yup that's me. In the flesh baby." He motion a moment and disappeared from Delta squad's view. They gathered together and waited. A few seconds later, they heard the sound of a chainsaw cutting through plasterboard. Augustus Cole kicked through the thin wall cavity with a grin. "Tried to tell you to stay away from that chopper man. Sounds like shit got thick for you."

Marcus gave him a smirk and raised his gun. "It did. Thanks for the assist Cole." The squad leader bumped his Lancer against Cole's own weapon in a brotherly kind of way. "Where's the rest of your squad?" Marcus asked. Cole had a squad of at least six, including Baird and a rare female gear.

Cole gave a frown that looked utterly out of place on his face and reached into the back pocket of his belt. Marcus heard the jingle of chains before he saw the set of three COG tags glimmering. "Here's my squad," the larger gear stated, holding up the set of tags to the light. They danced and rattled together in Cole's large gasp as if they were speaking to the squad. Marcus could almost hear their voices in his head and he felt an all too familiar pang of loss. Another dead gear meant another brother was gone. "Except for Baird and Tanner. We got separated after the drop. Their last message came from nearby."

Marcus glanced at his squad. Dom seemed fine as the sergeant expected he would be but Anderson and Carmine seemed exhausted beyond words. Marcus could hardly blame them. They were young and did not have the stamina reserves that he had. Anderson was not even a proper gear. She was not trained for long, sustained combat.

But there was nothing he could do about it (short of sending her back to Jacinto) The sergeant dismissed the plan. It would eat up valuable time. "Looks like we got a new objective," he remarked then gave his Tac/Com a press. "Control, this is Delta. Cancel mayday. We've regrouped with Cole. Baird and Sigma are MIA, we're assisting in the search."

Cole gave an amused snort. "Regrouped. Is that what you called it when I saved your ass?"

The air shimmered for a moment and the semi-sentient robot Jack glimmered into view from his cloaking field. Marcus sometimes forgot he was even there, watching the entire time. His robotic limbs twitched and his lights flickered as a small screen folded down from inside his metal chassis. A thirteen inch Anya gave the sergeant a small smile. Something about seeing her face always calmed Marcus's frazzled nerves. The blonde seemed to have that soothing effect on him. "Copy that Delta. We have additional squads moving in to secure Ilima."

"Rodger control. We'll keep you posted. Delta out." Jack flickered back into his cloaking field, taking Anya with him.

Cole gave another snort of amusement. "Regrouped? That's a good one! Good thing you got your star player back."

"Welcome back Cole Train."

Marcus decided right then and there that 83 was his new lucky number.

* * *

Cadash'Shale did not like Ragnarok's plan one bit. She didn't understand it, not in the least. She contemplated his plan as she left living his dwelling and headed back down to the lower levels of Nexus. The Locust warrior considered it foolish to trust their fate to a human – especially one as scrawny and weak as Munnnaki. To go as far as to trust the cursed Delta squad was unthinkable. They would not help. They would be incapable of helping. Their primal human desire for revenge would prevent it. Shale was sure of it as she was sure of the sun rising. It became clear to the Locust female that Ragnarok did not have a logical mind and utterly unfit to be leading the Lambent rebellion. She had noticed that the former architect lacked any inkling of tactical planning. Shale snorted at the stupidity of it all. It was a wonder that Queen Myrrah had not caught and flayed him already.

Ragnarok was truly hopeless.

The Locust warrior walked the length of the corridor, her clan tunic swaying at her leather clad knees. She headed down two flights of heavy, stone stairs towards the open marketplace. She raised her snout to the air and sniffed the overwhelming scent of spiced meat sizzling on an open grill. She descended down the last of the steps and made her way through the market, utterly intent of returning to her own dwelling to think over Ragnarok's abortion of a plan. Passing fellow Locust bowed respectfully to her as was expected - she had been sired by General RAAM after all. A Kantus stopped to bless her, drawing patterns above her ash dappled head and said he would pray for the great general on her behalf. Shale remembered with some revulsion when word spread that RAAM had perished at the hands of Delta squad. Queen Myrrah had held a great mourning ceremony in his honour and thundered with anger at the _profligates_ known as Delta. Shale herself had simply smirked silently in the shadows next to the Therons.

Shale finally moved through the throng of Locust in the marketplace. It was still busy – which was unsurprising. With the human "Lightmass bombing" being rather successful, many Locust had moved down deeper into the city. They were just not safe to reside in anymore. Shale marvelled at the humans. They could be so resourceful and determined when they used the collective intelligence of their apish minds. She headed towards a winding, polished marble stairs opposite. As she neared the steps of the staircase, Shale felt the all too familiar chill crawl down her spine and gave an involuntary shiver. Her dappled grey hand twitched, as if itching to reach for the pistol that was strapped to her belt.

Human called the sensation: "Someone walking across your grave."

The female Locust called it Ferus'Loki.

Shale whipped around and looked into the darkened patches in the corridor. "Show yourself Loki and cease these foolish games," she growled at the Locust who was to be her mate - an arrangment made by her sire. General RAAM had required much troops and resources for his attack on the surface. None had come without a heavy price and thus, he had bound himself to another powerful Locust clan.

"Rudeness does not become you Shale," the shadows responded. A Theron guard stepped out silently from the darkness, his royal red armour glittering under the imulsion powered lighting. Shale tensed in a manner that was almost too human and mentally berated herself. It seemed they were rubbing off on her – a prospect that stung her warrior pride a great deal. She did not want to be weak like them. "I do not appreciate being followed," she snarled at him, feeling particularly aggressive at the sight of the Theron guard.

Loki gave a smile that had more fang in it than she would have liked. "Forgiveness Shale."

Shale snorted. The female was fairly certain he did not even know the meaning of such a word. "Forgiveness? You deserve not such a thing. Why do you feel it necessary to follow me Loki? Do you doubt my prowess as a warrior?"

"Certainly not Shale. I am merely exercising my right," Loki hissed, taking a step towards her. Shale held her ground and tried not to tremble like a newborn human. It was impossible not to shake in his presence. He was large and imposing and utterly disciplined – everything that a Locust warrior would aspire to be.

"I am not your mate Loki," the Locust female hissed.

Large orange eyes stared with an intensity that was all too familiar to female warrior. "You will be."

Shale felt her mouth curl into a snarl. "I am no mule to be traded and bartered. I look forward to reminding our Queen of that," the female warrior growled, amber eyes flashing with anger and rage. She turned to walk away from the Theron as she had done countless times previously when suddenly, Loki's gauntlet glad hand shot out and coiled around her exposed bicep. Shale opened her mouth to snarl a warning at him when he twisted her arms into a painful arm lock and pulled her armour clad back against his chest with a crunch of metal. The Theron's grip was stronger than a vice and would have crushed the bones of any human. "I will not tolerate your insubordination any longer Shale," Loki hissed against the dappled grey skin of her neck.

A primal growl ripped from Shale's throat and she gave him a hard kick that would have sent a human flying thirty feet. "Nor will I tolerate your arrogance. It is unbecoming of a Theron," she snarled.

Loki, however, was apparently unfazed. He simply bared his teeth at female Locust. Shale felt the urge to pull them out and would have if he had not subdued her completely. "Do not test my temper Shale. I am the only one who stands the Lambent and the Queen. I could stand aside and let her find you. She would tear you apart," Loki threatened.

Shale gave a snort. "You are part of the Lambancy Loki. Would you truly reveal yourself out of spite? I think not."

"I have the ability and skill to cover my tracks Shale. Unlike yourself and our dear brother Ragnarok."

The female Locust stilled in his grasp. She felt an uncharacteristic and utterly foreign wave of fear that threatened to wash away all her courage. "You would dare threaten me?" Shale snarled, trying to mask her fear.

"I would. It seems that threats is all that you understand." He gave her arm a malicious little twist. A stark contrast of immense pain shot up Shale's elbow and it took the warrior every ounce of willpower to stop herself from roaring out. She knew however it would not have done her much good. Only a captain in the Theron guard could get away with such obvious abuse. Her kin would simply turn their heads and go about their own business, never questioning. "Is that understood Cadash'Shale?"

Shale gritted her fangs in defiance.

"Do you understand?" he repeated, giving her arm another painful twist.

"I understand." The words felt like acid upon her tongue.

The Theron released her with a hard shove and an even harder scowl. "I must go see the Queen. Pray that I have forgiven your insolence before I deliver my report."

Shale scowled at him, twin hearts hammering beneath her dappled chest. She said nothing in response as the warrior did not trust her own voice.

She needed to get out of Nexus.

And fast.

* * *

**FireK here again. I apologise if the section with Loki and Shale seems rushed. I wrote it in a couple of hours and had originally had another section planned but moved it to another chapter so I threw this in instead. Loki will be important to the Lambent storyline (Which I will need to change a lot now to make it seem KINDA plausible) This was honestly the worst chapter I've ever written simply because it felt so boring but I couldn't really skip it cos I needed to introduce Cole.  
**

**Hur Hur Hur, c wut I did thar with the Bloodmount :D Needed an excuse for the sweet romance between Jennifer and Carmine. The Locust are bringing them together, one baby step at a time.**

**Oh and by the way, I started a forum for this story last year but only started using it lately. It will have previews of chapters in progress so drop by and have a look.**


	8. VIII: Blood On The Scales

**Hey guys! I finally got a chapter out after nearly seven months, and all it took was a minute long trailer of Gears of War: Judgement and seeing a much younger Baird. 6000 words of this has actually been finished for nearly five months but then life caught up with me again so I'm gotten rusty. Again.**

**Now, would anyone be interested in getting smaller, more timely updates? It does take me a while to write out 10000 words for each chapter but I could start splitting them up so that you get more updates but smaller chapters, maybe only 5000 or 6000 words each?**

**I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed and supported this story so far; On here, on Deviantart and on TSR. I could list you all to but it would take too long now. Without your input, I would never have motivated myself this past week to get this chapter published. You all know who you are. While I haven't replied to most of the reviews, I still value every single one. ****Thank you so, so much****. You guys make my day all the damn time and words cannot explain my great joy when you give me feedback.**

**Big thank you to Judge Magister Fermus for listening to me talk about Gears of War. Without him, it would never exist and Jennifer would still be stuck in draft hell. Forever grateful bro.**

**For people who have been wanting more Ben/Jen love, this chapter is for you. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Gears of War 2: **Crimson Cross

**Chapter Eight: **Blood On The Scales

_**"**_**Do you remember standing on a broken field  
White crippled wings beating the sky  
The harbingers of war with their nature revealed  
And our chances flowing by  
If I can let the memory heal  
I will remember you with me on that field"**

Poets Of the Fall – **"War"  
**

* * *

**COG Serial Number:** PV-B.C.831-862-203-088  
**Current Time: **19:30  
**Current Location: **Ilima City

Perched upon a bullet chipped granite slab, Ben Carmine had never been so exhausted in his entire life. He felt as if he had been marching and fighting forever. The rookie had popped a wake up stim but it did not seem to help. Every muscle and fibre within his body screamed for rest. His arms throbbed from holding the constant weight of the Longshot. The ache in his legs and feet reverberated up his spine and neck. His thermal layering was soaked to the point where he was sure it would start seeping through the regular padding under his armour. When he removed his helmet, an inch of dirt and ash stuck to his skin. Nothing in Basic could have prepared the rookie for the utter exhaustion he felt. He had been glad when Sergeant Fenix had called for a moment to resupply before saddling up to find Corporal Baird and the other missing soldiers. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for a couple of days.

The rookie glanced at the Delta's leader – who was currently dividing up the ammo and equipment from the dead Locust soldiers into six even piles– and wondered how on earth the sergeant managed to find the strength to keep going. Ben had seen what Sergeant Fenix had – Ilima City being swallowed whole by a black hole with teeth. It was like something out of a nightmare. A cold chill ran down Ben's back and he shook his head, trying to shake the memory right out of his skull. He didn't want to think about that. He wasn't sure he could keep his head up if he did.

Ben looked over towards the sixth member of the squad. Anderson was crouched behind an old oak desk, searching around in one of her pockets for a ration bar. The small medic did not look much better than him. She had thick bandaging around her arm where the Bloodmount had sliced deep. Armour that had been pristine white only that morning was splattered with brick red splashes. The chest plate itself was dented with deep scratches that could have only come from large, sharp talons. His heart sped up beneath his chest just watching her movements and the rookie remembered the rush of sheer terror coupled with blinding rage he had felt when he had seen the Bloodmount perched upon her tiny frame.

Ben also remembered the way she had clung to him afterwards, the way she had trembled against his frame. Anderson had slotted against him so perfectly, even against the bulk of their armour. It was as if her curves had been made purely to fit in the angular contours of his own frame. He wondered briefly what the skin beneath the synthetic fabric and heavy steel armour felt like. The very thought made his neck blush red and suddenly, his armour felt a little warmer than usual. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to talk to one of his brothers, preferably Clay. Clay was a ladies man. Clay knew shit about girls. Clay always seemed to know exactly what to say and do. Ben however did not have the slightest clue. His last sexual experience with a girl had been a fumbling, awkward mess that still smarted terribly when he thought about it. He thought he had learnt all he needed to know about girls. Now he felt fifteen all over again; bumbling and shaking and shy. He just couldn't help it. Anderson was pretty and he liked looking at her.

Anderson must have realised that he was staring for her raven haired head jerked up. She looked squarely at him and gave him a weak smile that left Ben with the desire to find somewhere safe and secure to hide her. He sometimes forgot that the small medic was six years older than him. She certainly did not look or act her age. Anderson seemed as fragile and breakable as glass. She was utterly unsuited for army life. Ben privately thought she looked as if she could be toppled by a strong gust of wind any second.

The rookie got up from his seat and trotted over to the little medic. Anderson looked up at him. Her cheeks bloomed dusty pink that Ben found so utterly adorable. She put him in mind of the pretty china dolls he used to see in toyshops before E-Day, the kind one would treasure and keep safe from the world. She certainly had the look of a china doll; pale skinned with black hair and large, round eyes that seemed magnified by her glasses.

Ben flopped down behind the desk, trying to appear casual and trying to ignore the jump in his pulse rate. "Hey. You alright?" The rookie was not entirely sure why he asked. He knew the answer already. Anderson wasn't coping much better than he was. She was paler – almost sickly looking. The bruise on her head had gotten bigger and darker; now a sickly shade of eggplant purple. "Yeah, I'm fine." The medic rubbed the ash and dirt from behind her glasses, looking as if she were trying very hard not to cry. Her hands trembled and he felt the sudden urge to reach out and take them just to stop her fingertips from shaking. She certainly wasn't fine. He knew that.

He was just about to open his mouth and say something he hoped was comforting when the rookie's stomach grumbled loudly. Ben reddened again and felt the all too familiar nervous itch bite at the nap of his exposed neck. "Oh, sorry about that. I guess I didn't realise how hungry I was," Ben stated. It was an out and out lie of course. His stomach had been gnawing itself for the past few hours. He had a ration pack in his one of his belt pockets but Sergeant Fenix had warned against eating it until he was utterly desperate. None of them could be sure when they would get back to Jacinto.

If they even made it back to Jacinto.

Anderson looked down at her freshly opened ration bar. She then held it to him. "Here, take it."

His belly rumbled in response at the prospect of food but Ben felt like a complete jerk for even considering taking it from her. "No no, you need it more than I do," the rookie gear insisted, swallowing his dry throat. He was so hungry that he thought he might faint.

Anderson was not convinced. "Go on, take it. Your blood sugar level will be really low with all that blood you lost earlier," she explained.

The rookie gear hesitated. His stomach growled again in agreement with the young medic.

"Please?" Jennifer blinked at him, looking the very picture of innocence and sincerity. It completely shattered his will to resist her and he suddenly wondered if she was aware of it. Probably not.

"Well, only if you're really sure," he dithered.

She nodded and pressed the ration bar into his hand before Ben could change his mind. "I am. I carry extra rations with me; lots of things with high sugar content for wounded soldiers," the girl replied, already looking in her pocket for another ration bar. Ben took a large bite of his own, too hungry to register the taste and for that, he was thankful.

They sat together, munching their ration bars and listening to the sound of fires burning elsewhere. He stared out into the flame, hardly able to believe that he had only been in the field for a day – that Ilima City had only just been swallowed up. When he looked up to the sky, the rookie could still see black smoke belching into the sky from the fires that still burned throughout the ruins. "It doesn't feel like this has all happened in a day does it?" he remarked, giving voice to thoughts.

The medic nodded. "I know, it doesn't seem real. I wish it wasn't," Anderson replied. She wore a distant look – the one when that crossed her face whenever she was thinking of lost lives. It was such a sad, almost broken expression that made his stomach clench.

"Yeah, me too," he agreed. Some part of him still hoped that it was all just another nightmare, that he would wake up any moment safe and sound in the housing complex with his mother. Ben wondered briefly what his mother would be doing. He could see her cleaning up the dishes from the evening meal while listening to the updates on the battered radio that sat on the kitchen table. Ben missed his mother terribly. The thought of her alone at home made him sad.

A few moments passed before Anderson broke the silence. "Thank you for saving me before. With that...What was it that Sergeant Fenix called it again?"

Ben swallowed. He could still hear her scream of terror in his head. It was a sound that he would carry to his grave. "Bloodmount I think," he replied, trying hard to not think about what might have happened if he had been too late.

Anderson screwed up her ration wrapper and tossed it to the ground. "Yeah. That was scary."

"I thought it had killed you."

"It nearly did, if you hadn't have shown up…" Anderson trailed off, her eyes large and glassy.

They stared out at the charred remains of the city again. Ben was only aware of his heartbeat in his eardrum, drowning out the crackle and spit of the fire. "Do you…Do you think we'll make it back?" the medic asked, her voice so fragile that he could barely hear her.

The rookie swallowed. "Of course. We have the Sarge on our side. We'll get back to Jacinto in no time," Ben replied, optimism in his voice that he didn't really feel but tried for her shake.

Anderson looked at him. Her fingers were still shaking. "Do you think so?"

Ben held out his pinkie. "I do. Pinkie promise. I don't break pinkie promises."

The little medic reached out and entwined her finger with his. "I don't know what I would do without you Carmine."

"Ya know, you can call me 'Ben'" The medic went cherry red and suddenly, Ben felt stupid once again. He was getting too personal, too quickly. "But, but only if you want to. You don't have to" Ben quickly added, trying to beat a hasty retreat.

She surprised him by giving his pinkie a little squeeze. "It's okay Ben. I'd like that," Anderson replied with a smile - one that lit up her entire face and left him with the desire to kiss her in order to keep it on her face.

In fact, the rookie gear did just that.

Crouched behind the ruined oak desk, Ben leaned over and pressed a kiss upon her mouth. It was so brief and soft that he wouldn't even call it a kiss – rather just contact. Anderson froze with shock and Ben suddenly realised what he had just done. The rookie pulled back abruptly. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I-I-I just really like you is all," he gushed, feeling very hot and sick with embarrassment.

Anderson said nothing for a few seconds, simply stared at him. For every second that passed by, his pulse quickened. His thighs burned with the muscles that remained taut in his waiting. For a horrifying moment, Ben was certain she would rebut him completely.

Then, amazingly, she gave him that pretty smile. "I-I like you too Ben. There's so much about you that I can't help but like," Anderson admitted.

Ben took the confession as a sign of encouragement. He pressed against her chapped lips again, tasting ash and dust and something sweet that was probably sweat but he didn't care in the slightest. Kissing Anderson was everything he thought it would be and more. His eyes closed of their own accord and he lost himself the taste and feel of her. When Anderson breathed something that sounded much like his own name, Ben thought he might lose his mind completely. He held her face as he kissed her, trying to mimic the grainy old romance vids he had seen as a kid. It seemed to work well enough for Anderson slid a palm onto one of his biceps; fingers splayed cross the fabric of his thermal layering. His muscles gave a happy twitch in response and in his eardrums, his blood sung her name.

Suddenly, he didn't care they were in the ruined, burning city of Ilima. He didn't care that it was probably considered inappropriate. He certainly didn't care that Sergeant Fenix would not approve. If it was not for the immediate threat of the Locust, Ben could have sat there all day, kissing the little medic and feeling deliciously dizzy the entire time.

The need for air broke them away prematurely. Ben pressed his forehead against hers and simply rested there for a moment, his heart pounding so rapidly he feared it would beat right out of his chest and flop into Anderson's hand. When Ben eventually pulled away he found her gazing at him, readjusting the thick framed glasses that he had somehow knocked from their place upon her nose. Her chapped lips were swollen pink from the pressure of his mouth upon hers. Her cheeks were practically glowing pink and her eyes were large and glassy. She gave a sigh, her breath warm against his face. It wasn't a sad sigh, but rather a happy one – something that his male ego took great pride in.

He was about to kiss her again when the call of their squad leader made them both jump. "Rook! Anderson! Where the hell are you?" came the guttural shout of Sergeant Fenix.

Ben scrambled up from behind the desk, his legs feeling as tangled as a pretzel and as wobbly as jelly. "Over here Sarge." He sincerely hoped that Sergeant Fenix would not notice the dark red flush up his neck.

Sergeant Fenix spotted them and marched over, arms full with the divided supplies. Those white-blue eyes - that usually missed nothing – looked over them both critically. His stare rested briefly upon the rather flustered looking Jennifer Anderson. Ben could practically see his eyes narrowing at her flushed, pink cheeks. He tried to ready a good, plausible lie to have at the ready just in case Sergeant Fenix grilled them.

If he had made the connection, the grizzled sergeant chose not to comment. Instead, he simply dumped the bundles of cartridges and supplies on the desk. "Take these and saddle up, we're moving out in a minute."

Ben almost saluted out of force of habit but caught himself just in time. He knew the Sergeant wouldn't like it and Ben was in no hurry to test his temper. "Yes Sarge!" he exclaimed a little too enthusiastically, even for him.

Sergeant Fenix raised an eyebrow – one that clearly read: _I'm-watching-you-very-closely-so-don't-even-try-anything- _before he turned around to stalk back to the remainder of Delta squad that had situated at the mouth of a great tunnel.

Once the rookie was certain that Sergeant Fenix was out of earshot, Ben glanced down at the little medic and cracked a grin at his pink cheeked companion. "That was close huh?"

Anderson looked over to their Sergeant and bit down on her lower lip in worry. "I think he already knows."

"So? It's not like we did anything wrong," Ben replied as he divided up the supplies. He liked kissing Anderson. He liked it very much. He sincerely hoped she would allow him to do it again.

"No, but Sergeant Fenix probably wouldn't like it. We might get into trouble," Anderson pointed out, gathering up her share of the spoils.

A frown crossed Ben's face. It seemed to him that Sergeant Fenix didn't like anything much. Ben shoved the steel Longshot rounds into his ammo pocket, along with two or three magazines of Lancer ammo and some rounds for his pistol. He secured the small ration pack to his belt. "I don't care. I like kissing you."

Anderson blushed just as their grizzled squad leader yelled over at them again. "Rook! Anderson! Hurry the fuck up! We don't have all day," Sergeant Fenix shouted, looking irritated. He seemed to do an awful lot of shouting.

The medic visibly jumped, as if someone had surged an electrical current through her. "Y-Yes Sergeant Fenix!" Anderson squeaked back. She cast Ben one last glance, her mouth curled into an encouraging smile before she scuttled like a crab over to the mouth of the dark tunnel where Delta squad had gathered. Ben jammed his helmet back onto his head and his fingers were trembling so much that he found it difficult to secure the straps. The rookie picked up his rifle and hurried to catch up, his head held high. He tried to ignore the look of amusement upon Dom's face or the smirking of Cole and failed entirely.

When Jennifer glanced at him with a smile that left him weak in the knees, Ben Carmine knew he was utterly doomed.

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 19:40  
**Current Location**: Ilima City

Jennifer did not think it was an entirely good idea to go into the Locust tunnels, especially a tunnel that a giant worm had dug less than an hour ago. She looked on ahead and felt a shiver run down her spine. It was dark and almost impossible to tell what lay on ahead. The medic swallowed and clutched her borrowed Gnasher shotgun to her chest, trying hard not let her obvious fear show on her face. Sergeant Fenix would surely disapprove – and she was already on thin-ice with the grizzled sergeant. She cast her navy blue eyes up to the ceiling of the cave. In both width and height, the tunnel was at least half a mile in size. She felt an unusual rush of anger and frustration. How could the COG been unaware of something so big residing beneath the earth's surface? Had they known and simply not bothered to tell anyone? Evolution dictated that creatures like the giant worm _did not_ crop up over night. She knew that much.

"Damn! They dig some big ass tunnels down here!" Augustus Cole exclaimed.

The female medic would have cracked a smile had she not been so exhausted.

Big ass tunnels.

Yes, she considered that a fairly accurate description.

Sergeant Fenix was less impressed. "It's the worm," he said bluntly.

"Huh?"

"Some kind of giant worm is making all these tunnels. It's what's sinking the cities too," remarked from the rearguard Latino.

Cole threw Dom a look as if he didn't quite believe him. "You're kidding me right?"

"I wish," replied Sergeant Fenix. He led Delta squad through the worm-made tunnel without a hint of hesitation or uncertainty, as if he had been traversing the tunnels his entire life. Jennifer was not entirely sure how he did it. She felt as if the shadows in the tunnels were closing in around them; a hundred eyes watching them in the dark. The entire tunnel dimly lit, save for a few burning Locust torches along the way. There were patches of thick mist and what rock formations could be seen were thick thorns of stone and granite spiked up from the earth like plant stems. A moistness hung in the air with a scent that was not entirely unpleasant. Jennifer likened it to damp soil and moss – which made a nice change to the smell of burning wood and plastic. Worse than the darkness was the sound. The entire cavern seemed to groan and growl and hiss at Delta. It was as if the tunnel knew the intruders were there and was making it perfectly clear they were not welcome. She quickened her pace so that she was walking next to Ben. The rookie slowed his march slightly so she was not jogging to keep up. Jennifer's skin warmed at the proximity of him. Every time she glanced his way, she remembered the press of him against her lips; like warm, wet velvet. He made her feel happy – happier than she had been in a long time.

Her thoughts were scrambled when Cole let out a whistle that echoed out through the cave. "That's some crazy shit boy. But I guess the whole world has gone crazy."

Jennifer looked over at the large, burly gear and suddenly found it hugely hilarious that she was marching with him. The medic could barely believe that she was in the same squad as The Cole Train, hero of the Hanover Cougars. She had heard he had signed up after Emergence Day but she never entertained the idea that she would ever meet him in person. Despite the entire situation, Jennifer felt a wash of giddy, girlish excitement at the prospect of serving with him – such a superstar soldier. The medic remembered some fondness the Thrashball games she used to watch with her mother, curled up on the plush sofa with hot chocolate and marshmallows. She wondered briefly if Cole would consider signing her once pristine white armour but thought better of it. She did not want to look like an utter fool to him.

And she didn't have a pen with her.

Instead, the raven haired girl looked to Sergeant Fenix. The steel eyed soldier took a left into a crevice between the rock formations and Delta followed through cautiously, guns raised. He weaved through the sharp spikes of rock, guiding the squad towards what looked like an abandoned Locust outpost. Through the mist, Jennifer could see what looked like iron gates from a medieval portcullis.

After a few minutes, Sergeant Fenix called for a halt a few hundred yards away from the encampment. He looked back and signalled for Ben to move forward. The rookie gear crept up the line cautiously and crouched down next to the squad leader upon the hill crest. "Carmine, take a look and see if there is anything up ahead," the squad leader ordered. Ben reached back and unclipped his Longshot rifle from the magnetic backpack attached to his armour. Jennifer watched as the rookie raised his rifle and peered through the long ranged scope; scouting ahead of Delta. Ben had keen eyes; a natural born sniper. He had been complimented for his sniping skills by Sergeant Fenix – which was good because the grizzled vetran didn't do compliments very often.

Delta squad waited in silence until Ben lowered his weapon. "I don't see anything Sarge."

Satisfied, Sergeant Fenix moved forward again. Delta moved up a small, rocky crest towards the gates, Lancers pointed directly at the encampment as a precaution. Together as a squad, they moved forward (Jennifer trembling in her oversized boots the entire time) Under a particularly large formation of stone, Jennifer could see the encampment more clearly. Beneath her booted feet, soil and gravel swiftly became Locust tiles the closer Delta got to the Locust camp. Jennifer followed behind Ben, her steps cautious and slight. She was vary for Locust trips and traps. Gods knew they were good at them. A misplaced step could easily result in a spike through the foot or the denotation of a hidden landmine.

Sergeant Fenix was the first to scout out the encampment, his Lancer raised in anticipation of a Locust ambush. When he gave the all clear, the rest of Delta pushed forward to secure the location. Jennifer's brow crinkled and she looked around the abandoned outpost. There were no weapons or supplies lying around the encampment. Instead, a handful of large, faded blue containment pods were scattered about the place. When the medic looked closer, she realised with cold horror that one of the open pods contained the body of COG soldier. Her feet decided to move without her permission and suddenly, Jennifer found herself squatted down next to the fallen soldier.

For a moment, she could not touch him. Her hand – as if it had a mind of its own- simply hovered above his body.

Dom noticed the corpse as well. "Marcus! Is that Baird?"

Jennifer glanced up as Sergeant Fenix approached what was left of the soldier. He looked down at her and his steely blue eyes softened slightly. Wordlessly, Sergeant Fenix crouched down in the gravel next to her with a loud, metallic crunch. The sergeant met her stare for a moment then placed his large, gloved hands gently upon the body and turned the unfortunate soldier onto his back. A flicker of an emotion Jennifer could not quite place rippled across his gnarled, scarred face. To the young medic, it almost looked like relief mixed with bitter anger and disappointment.

The corpse was not Corporal Baird, that much was for certain. He was not a soldier that Jennifer recognised. Blank, vacant eyes stared up at the two soldiers, his face a picture of horror – as if he had known what was about to happen seconds before his death. Jennifer clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. The medic surveyed the body and found the cause of death to be a single, messy shot to the forehead. His skin was ashen and cold, a clear indication he had been dead for quite some time before Delta arrived. He had been picked clean of supplies. Not one shell or round remained in his ammo case. Pale, cold and stripped to the bone of supplies he put Jennifer in mind of a sad, forgotten statue.

Cole appeared next to Sergeant Fenix and looked down. It was the first time Jennifer had seen him look angry. It was a scary sight indeed and she was suddenly glad she was not a Locust. "That's Baird's jumpmate. Rest in peace Tanner. Damn it." The largest gear turned away, his hands tightening on his Lancer.

Sergeant Fenix fixed his stare onto the little medic then stood up, his shadow dwarfing her completely. "Anderson, get his tags and let's go."

Jennifer nodded and reached under his thermal layering for the tags. His skin was cold enough for her to feel a chill through her gloves. She gave the small, stainless steel chain a little tug and pulled the gear shaped tags from his lifeless body. She slipped them into the black velvet pocket attached to her belt, feeling sick the entire time. The growing weight of the small pocket was hard to ignore.

The medic stood up, brushed the gravel off her knee pads and hurried to catch up with Delta squad - who were already moving deeper into the Locust encampment. To the right of a cluster of pods was fork in the path. Sergeant Fenix moved up the gravel path, his rifle raised cautiously. Dom followed on close behind, watching his wingman with intense concentration. More burning torches lead the way yet the area was entirely deserted and devoid of any life. Another twenty or thirty pods were scattered through the zone but that was all. No tools or weapons or anything that indicated a Locust presence. Jennifer pushed her glasses up and frowned as she trotted on behind Delta squad. Perhaps the Locust had moved on from the area.

Then Jennifer heard the shout of someone she would have rather not seen again. Someone blonde, highly intelligent and super obnoxious. "Hey! Is that Cole? Cole! Get me out of here man! Get me out of here!" The call from the furthest pod on the right. It gave a loud, indignant rattle; as if Corporal Baird was throwing himself at the door.

The former Thrashball player gave a grin and approached the pod with the rest of Delta. Jennifer swallowed the golf-ball sized lump in her throat and looked on, fearful for what little remained of her dignity. She knew exactly what was going to happen when Corporal Baird emerged from that pod.

He was going to make her life hell and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Yeah, I hear you Baird," remarked the largest gear.

"Then get me the hell out of here!" came the muffled reply of Corporal Baird. The sound of his voice made Jennifer's legs feel like nothing more that sticks of heavy lead. She was afraid of a large number of things but Damon Baird truly took first place. The blonde corporal was more terrifying to Jennifer than any Locust. She was not entirely sure if she had the will to suffer the torment that was sure to follow when he was realised she was in fact, still alive. He was going to be disappointed certainly. Jennifer took a step backwards. She toyed with the idea of turning on her booted heel and running all the way back to Jacinto and throwing herself at the mercy of Colonel Hoffman. With her small stature, the medic was fairly certain she could outrun even Sergeant Fenix if she really tried.

Meanwhile, Ben noticed Jennifer's sudden step backwards and quirked his helmet clad head almost questionably at her. Jennifer tried to smile but found it impossible. Her frazzled nerves just would not allow it. "Hey? What's up?" he asked, his concern genuine upon his voice. Jennifer suddenly did not trust herself to speak in fear her tongue would betray her. She simply glanced at the containment pod where the rest of Delta were gathered, biting her lower lip and trying desperately hard not to break down completely. How could she explain her overwhelming fear of Corporal Baird? Even after all they had seen, he still frightened her more than any Locust.

Ben worked it all out in a second. She didn't have to say anything. He turned around and closed the gap between them. Then, the rookie reached out and placed his hands on her shoulder pads. His glowing blue visor focused on her and she could easily envision the intensity behind his helmet. "It's okay. Baird can't push you around anymore. Me and the Sarge won't let 'em."

Jennifer swallowed the hard lump in her throat. From what she had seen of Corporal Baird, he did not seem to listen to anything Sergeant Fenix said. She peered around Carmine gingerly her pulse rate shifting in gear. Sergeant Fenix had finally given up trying to pick the lock and simply smashed it a few times with butt of his Lancer rifle. The lock shattered into a handful of glittering pieces and dropped onto the ground below. Dom and Cole hauled the door open with little exertion and the blonde haired solider stumbled out of the containment pod, grumbling like an old car engine. Jennifer felt her innards freeze. Corporal Baird looked more pissed off than she could ever remember – which spelt trouble for the entire squad. He adjusted the goggles he was almost ever seen without and scowled at Delta squad, not looking the least bit grateful.

"About time. What the hell took you guys so long?" he snapped, his teal eyes very hard and angry indeed. The medic wondered how long he had been stuffed in that pod. She supposed she would be angry too. Jennifer surveyed him, looking for any visible wounds and was relieved to find none. Corporal Baird was an attractive enough man in his own right; tall, broad with dirty blonde hair that put Jennifer in mind of an old scrubbing brush. It stuck up in different directions and the blonde colouring did not look natural. Maybe the rumours were true – that Corporal Baird dyed his hair blonde.

Sergeant Fenix gave a grunt and tossed the blonde soldier Tanner's rifle. "Huh, you're welcome," he said gruffly, as if he wasn't bothered by the corporal's bad attitude in the slightest. The squad leader paused a moment and looked around at the cavern full of pods. "What the hell are the Locust doing taking prisoners?" the Sergeant growled – there was just no other way to describe it.

"They are locking people up in these things. Taking them deeper into the Hollows." Corporal Baird pinched the bridge of his nose, his face scrunched up. "They were gonna 'process' me man. Whatever that means." Jennifer shivered. Her imagination went into full scale overdrive and the thought conjured up images of chains, torture and death.

Dom fiddled with his belt for his water canteen and handed it over to Corporal Baird. The blonde gave Dom a look of what Jennifer suspected was gratitude before he took a swing from the battered, silver bottle. Corporal Baird did not return the canteen until he had drained it completely.

"Shit, I'll show these Locust bitches some process!" exclaimed Cole in his loud, aggressive way.

Sergeant Fenix looked as if he wanted to show the locust some "process" as well but in less words. Steel, almost white blue eyes flashed with a glimmer of something Jennifer could not quite place. She could just never tell what he was thinking. "Come on. Let's check it out." He motioned with the swipe of his gloved hand for the squad to move on forward. Jennifer released the breathe of oxygen she hadn't realised she had been holding and gathered her nerves together. Perhaps with any luck, Sergeant Fenix would keep the blonde corporal occupied and he would not notice her.

Luck was not something that Jennifer had in spades.

Corporal Baird stopped abruptly and turned his teal blue stare onto her, effectively pinning her with his gaze. Jennifer felt as if someone had cracked an egg over her head, the cold sensation of dread sliding down her spine. She struggled to keep her face entirely neutral, as if she was not bothered by his presence. It was much harder than she thought it would be. The medic mentally steeled herself for the verbal lashing that was sure to come.

The blonde did not disappoint her in the slightest.

"Oh? You're still living?" His tone was quick, cutting and sarcastic; everything she knew it would be yet it still hurt. Jennifer nodded weakly. Corporal Baird never failed to make her feel three inches tall.

Sergeant Fenix rubbed his temples, as if he had a terrible, Corporal Baird induced headache. "Oh Baird. Don't start your shit again," the sergeant growled.

The blonde blatantly ignored Sergeant Fenix and looked pointedly at her. It took a few long seconds for Jennifer to realise he expected an answer. A verbal one. "Y-Y-Yes sir," the medic spluttered, her painful stutter the worse it had ever been. She sounded pathetic – even to her own ears. She suddenly wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and for the Riftworm to swallow her up whole.

Corporal Baird let out a snort that Jennifer could not decide was in approval or disapproval. She sincerely hoped it was not the latter. "Huh? I'm actually genuinely surprised. Thought you'd be dead by now. Wishful thinking on my part."

Besides the young medic, Ben squared his shoulders and sized Corporal Baird up. Jennifer knew the rookie enough to that he was about to get indignant on her behalf and nothing she could say would stop him. "Hey, c'mon man. Don't be such a jerk."

Corporal Baird gave him a lazy look, as if he cared very little about what Ben had to say – which he probably didn't. He didn't seem to care much about anyone. "And what are you squeaking about little dick?"

The rookie gear's neck flushed a vibrant shade of tomato red. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"I said you were a little dick. What of it?" Corporal Baird replied, teal eyes flashing with apparent amusement.

"Oh that's it! I'm going to fuck you up good!"

"Ha! I'd like to see you try kid."

Before Ben could introduce Corporal Baird to the bayonet on his Lancer, Sergeant Fenix put himself between the raging rookie and the cantankerous corporal. Jennifer could practically see squad leaders irritation. It crackled off him like static. "Hey! Knock it off, both of you. We've got a fucking job to do remember?" The sergeant glanced between the pair, just daring either of them to start it up again. Corporal Baird threw Sergeant Fenix an oh-so-defiant smirk. "I didn't listen to you before. What the fuck makes you think I'm going to start now?" Baird replied smoothly.

"I said enough Baird," Sergeant Fenix growled in response.

Not knowing what else to do, Jennifer reached over and touched Ben's arm gingerly in a weak attempt to calm him down. His glowing teal gaze focused on her and the medic's heart fluttered beneath her breast. She licked her chapped lips and could practically taste the tension in the air. "Ben, please. Sergeant Fenix is right. We need to get out of here. He's not worth it," She surprised herself. Her voice did not usually sound that sure and solid, especially when Corporal Baird was within a ten foot radios. Ben looked at the medic and for a moment, Jennifer was not entirely sure he would back down. She supposed he had no reason to. Then, the tense arm muscles beneath her fingers relaxed and he step away. "Yeah, okay. Sorry Sarge." The rookie focused his teal blue visor on Baird longer than was necessary. His glare burned out, even through the steel confines of his helmet. Corporal Baird just smirked back, his eyes glittering with what Jennifer suspected was triumph.

The Sergeant released a heavy, twenty pound sigh and attempted to gather Delta squad back together without another fuss. Jennifer did not envy his job. Evidently, keeping a squad together made up of some many different personalities was much harder than she thought it would be. "Right guys, if you're done with the drama, let's move out." The ragtag squad complied with their leader without further complaint; Marcus and Cole in front, Baird and Dom in the middle with Ben and Jennifer at the end. Sergeant Fenix moved the squad down through the dripping Locust tunnels, following the ominous trail of containment pods. Some were empty while others were not so empty. When Dom pushed open a Locust pod, Delta were met with a pile of bile, blood and slick ivory bones. It did not even look human anymore. Ben swore he was going to vomit inside his helmet.

If Sergeant Fenix had been fazed by the discovery, the raven haired man hid it well. He pushed Delta through the wet, damp tunnels; leaving them little time to dwell on their discoveries. The hike was icy, scary and seemed to last an age. Jennifer stopped believing the digital display on her wrist. Clearly it was broken. The medic sucked in a breath of oxygen and felt the chill spread right through her, completely bypassing her thermal layering. The Locust burrows were as cold as they were terrifying and she did not like them in the slightest. She felt as if a thousand eyes were watching in dark, waiting to swallow one of them up whole. The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end and the medic gave a shiver that was not due to the drop in temperature.

"I didn't think the Locust took prisoners," remarked the former Thrashball player as the squad entered another spanning cavern. Cole did not have any sleeves on his armour and didn't seem the least bit bothered by the chill in the air.

"Guess they do now," Dom remarked, rapping one of the nearest containment pods with his gloved knuckles.

"You know, not that I'm not grateful or anything that you guys came to rescue me but we're probably all going to die on this mission anyway. Carmine defiantly will," the blonde remarked in front of her.

"Hey!" came the indignant yelp of Ben.

"Baird, shut it," growled the squad leader through a clenched jaw. Sergeant Fenix looked and sounded as if he sorely regretted letting Corporal Baird out of the containment pod at all.

"'_Baird, shut it. Baird, knock it off. Baird, suck my dick_.' That's all I hear when you talk Marcus," Corporal Baird fired back. Jennifer felt her cheeks redden while the rest of Delta snorted with laughter, Dom included.

"Even the 'suck my dick' part?" the Latino asked, sounding amused.

"Especially the suck my dick part," Corporal Baird replied firmly. Delta burst into peals of laughter again that echoed throughout the cavern. The response even coaxed a very rare chuckle out of Sergeant Fenix.

"Huh, you're real funny Baird."

"I know right," he responded.

"Alright guys, settle down. The Locust already know we're here. Let's not make it any easier for them."

Delta slipped back into silence. They moved deeper into the caverns, rhythmically and silently in fear of alerting any nearby Locust. Jennifer was afraid to even breathe, worried that even one heavy inhale would tip off the Locust.

Fifteen tense minute had passed before Delta entered a spamming, open chasm heavy with shadows that were so thick that they could be reached out and touched. Walls of rock and sharp spikes of stone spanned in every direction behind their eyes. "Hey! Did you see that?" Dom said suddenly.

The squad raised their weapons apprehensively. "See what Dom?" Sergeant Fenix asked, scanning the cavern with those mad-dog blue eyes.

"Out there, in the shadows."

Jennifer waited with bated breath, her eyes and ears straining.

Then, they saw _it._

The large, beetle like shape loomed out from darkness the caverns, looking like something that had been conjured straight from the depths of some nightmare. Jennifer stared in open mouthed horror at the spanning mixture of skin and machinery. She was not entirely sure what she was looking at. It appeared to be almost beetle-like in design with two twin horns protruding from the centre of its head. Attached to the bottom jaw were two almost mandible looking structures, one on either side that looked sharp and scary. The beast was quadrupedal with long, wiry limbs covered in black plate armour and secured with thick wiring. It seemed to use its ambidextrous limbs to move along the rocky ceiling. A great chasm spanned beneath the creature but it didn't seem the least bit bothered. Upon the back of the beetle beast was a metal and concrete structure that looked disturbingly similar to a prison. Cages swung down from the beast on thick, black shackles and cables. The sound of the chains jangling rattled Jennifer's very bones.

Baird gripped his Lancer, his facial expression tense. "That's them. That's where they are taking people. I think they're torturing them in there." Jennifer saw a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Sergeant Fenix scanned the great beast, his facial expression utterly unreadable. "Then let's get up there." The squad leader slid a fresh clip of Lancer rounds – one of the magazines Jennifer had given him – and looked back to the rest of the squad. "If there's anyone in there, we're getting them out," he stated, looking so utterly determined that Jennifer almost believed him. Sergeant Fenix was always so sure, so certain of what to do in times of crisis. If there was anyone that could get them through, it was Sergeant Fenix.

Sergeant Fenix could get them through anything.

Even through the ambush of Locust drones and Boomers that were waiting for them at the edge of the cavern.

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **SG-M.F.101-010-174-656  
**Current Time:** 20:00  
**Current Location**: Locust Beast Barge

The last Locust Drone had come to a sticky end beneath Marcus's heavy boot before the squad leader gave the all clear. Upon the deck of the Locust Beast Barge, Delta's leader leaned against the rusted railing. He inhaled a deep breath, trying to take in as much oxygen to combat the lactate acid that soaked every one of his muscles. He felt the exhaustion seeping through his body; eating away at the reserves of his strength and gnawing on what little energy he still had. The squad leader was not entirely sure how much longer he could keep going.

With a heavy sigh, Marcus glanced at Delta squad. They did not seem to be faring much better than he. The squad leader could see the exhaustion plainly upon their faces. After such an intense firefight of Boomers and Grenadiers, no one bothered to hide their fatigue. Marcus focused on the two younger gears seated a few feet away. Both of them appeared to be quite tired, especially Anderson. White blue eyes softened at the sight of her. The medic was paler than usual, almost sickly looking in colour. The mere sight of her looking so utterly wiped out was a stark reminder that she really was not fit for a combat role.

He frowned and made a mental note to have her transferred back to Jacinto as soon as possible. Anya was right – there was no way she was going to be able to keep up. Marcus knew to keep pushing Anderson would result in her death. He was not entirely sure he could live with that.

Marcus straightened up and reached into belt pocket for another clip of Lancer ammo. He sincerely hoped there would be no Locust backup. It would be easy to find Delta squad since they had left a breadcrumb trail of spent cartridges behind them.

He cleared his throat and turned to face his fellow gears. "Secure the deck Delta. We need have a look around this…thing," Marcus trailed off, utterly at a loss on how to describe his current mode of transportation. He looked to the recently rescued blonde soldier – who was scowling furiously in the direction of a rather looking bewildered Anderson. "Baird, see if there is a lift or something around here."

Baird gave him a salute that was more insolent than respectful. "Aye aye Captain," he retorted, his sarcasm blatant. Marcus threw him a look of hostility but did not take the bait that the blonde dangled in front of him. He knew how Baird ticked and knew how to play his games.

As the blonde headed down to the front of the Beast Barge to look for the controls, Marcus swivelled his attention back onto the remainder of the squad. "Dom, you and Carmine guard the rear. Cole, watch the sides. I don't want any grapplers trying to catch us off guard." The blue eyed soldier glanced at Anderson and felt his irritation diminish. "Anderson. Keep your shotgun out and stay in cover."

The medic opened her mouth to say something else when the jangle of what sounded like several chains churning cut her off. Marcus looked up in alarm in the direction of the sound. On the opposite end of the barge, a colossal Locust had dropped down on a circular lift. It seemed to span in every direction, masses upon masses of grey skin and muscle. Traditional Locust armour adorned its body and wore a tall, plated helmet that put Marcus in mind of a chef's hat. In its thick meaty arms, the Locust sported what appeared to be a mini-gun of some kind. It looked straight at them then grabbed the handle and started cranking.

Marcus felt his gut plummet.

"Grind!"

Delta's leader hit the deck with a loud, crunching thump. He crawled into cover behind a steel container, pressing his back against the side. Overhead, the air was thick with 5mm rounds. The bullets bounced off every surface with loud, audible _pings _that sounded too close for comfort. The squad leader looked around wildly, mad-dog eyes searching out Delta. Thankfully, his squad were bunkered down in various positions across the deck. He could not see Baird but could hear the loud swearing over the thunder of the bullets. Dom and Carmine were squashed up together on the other side of the Barge while Cole and Anderson were a few feet away from him. The larger gear had a protective arm over her head, keeping Anderson down out of sight. Marcus would have smirked had the bullets not been churning the air centimetres above his head.

Augustus Cole. Ever the gentleman.

It took a good twenty or thirty seconds for the bullets to die down. From behind his cover Marcus heard the "Grinder" let out a growl of frustration, coupled with the sound of hot air being vented from the inner chambers of the mini-gun. He ducked up from his cover and levelled his lancer at the mammoth of a Locust. He certainly had enough to shoot at. The squad leader squeezed the trigger of the rifle in short, controlled bursts. Four more Lancers joined up with him, hammering into the Locust with a practiced, trained accuracy. Hot lead slammed into the thick skin of the Boomer-type creature. It swayed slightly but didn't fall. Marcus gritted his teeth and prepared to slam another round into his Lancer when he saw the blonde head of Baird pop up from his cover and lob an armed grenade at the Locust.

Marcus held his breath. Too high and the grenade would miss the Locust completely.

It didn't.

The grenade detonated in a vivid burst of orange light, blowing the legs clean off the Grinder in a brilliant spray of blood and bone. The beast let out a roar of pain and – without the aid of its legs – fell face first onto the deck. It struggled and wriggled around for a few more futile moments, like a fish out of water before it eventually stilled completely. There was a deathly silence for a few moments after the Locust had died, coupled with enormous relief.

The sergeant hauled himself up from the decking, sweating like a pig. "Alright Delta, sound off. Who isn't dead?"

Delta responded with groans and curses but sounded very much alive. Baird stood up from behind his cover and wiped a globule of Locust blood from his cheek with disgust. "Man, I just _love_ my job," he stated. No situation had ever been too bad for Baird not to have some sort of witty retort at the ready. Marcus looked to the end of the Beast Barge and found that the circular lift was still there, covered in Locust blood and bits. He signalled his squad forward with a jerk of his wrist. Cole shoved the remains of the Grinder overboard, all seven hundred pounds of dead, grey meat.

"Alright, let's head up and see what's up there. Everyone on the lift, two at a time." Dom was by his side in an instant and they both moved forward onto the platform - that turned out to be a tighter squeeze that Marcus had anticipated. He flicked the glowing green switch on the control panel. The lift gave a groan of protest at the weight before it shuddered upwards, swinging slightly from side to side. Marcus rested one hand on the smoke grenade on his hip. The muscles tensed in his arm, ready to prime and throw the grenade into a crowd.

He needn't have bothered.

There was only one Locust on the second level and he stood with his back to the lift, apparently not paying the least bit attention the whirling lift. Marcus stilled, expecting the Locust to turn around any second. He glanced to his friend, only to find Dom with his commando knife out already. The Latino crept forward and with one fluid motion, clamped his gloved hand around the Grenadiers mouth and slashed his knife across the grey scaled throat of the Locust. There was a muffled protest before it bled out against the commando's hand. Dom released the body and it dropped to the ground in a heap like a puppet without strings. "Nice work Dom," Marcus said.

The Latino turned around and grinned. "Thanks. I've been practicing."

"I wonder how it didn't hear us."

The Latino wiped his hands and blade against the leather greaves of the dead Drone. "It's a Locust Marcus. They aren't exactly smart."

Marcus snorted to himself but did not bother to correct his old friend, despite all evidence they had witnessed to the contrary. He was tired, sore and did not feel like arguing the finer points of Locust intelligence.

As Dom stripped the Locust for much needed supplies, Marcus turned around and sent the lift swinging back down. Once it reached the bottom, the squad leader pressed his Tac/Com. "All clear guys. Get up here." Chains churned overhead and a few seconds later, Carmine and Anderson were on deck. "Hey, nice knifework," Carmine remarked as he stepped off the lift, nodding towards the corpse on the deck. Anderson followed behind, giving the dead Locust a wide berth as if she expected it to get back up again if she strayed too close.

"Yeah, Dom's doing," Marcus replied as he sent the lift back down again. A few moments later, Delta was joined by Baird and Cole.

The blonde observed their surroundings. "Man, this just keeps getting better and better," he remarked bitterly. Marcus privately agreed. He could smell the blood on the air; the coppery metallic scent that was all too familiar to ignore. The level was dark and devoid of any colour. The tiles beneath Delta were a faded brick shade - the colour of dried blood Marcus observed. Locust Cells lined the walls, roughly ten on each side. There was a table in the corner covered in tools that put the Sergeant in mind of embalming equipment.

He tried hard to think about what those curved and serrated blades were for.

Cole, meanwhile, approached the nearest cell. The larger gear glanced down, as if looking for something then turned back to Delta squad. "There's no locks on these doors."

Marcus frowned and looked around. In the center of the room was another control panel mounted on a one of the support beams. Marcus approached and scanned the console with tired eyes that couldn't make sense of much. There were a few buttons, labelled in Locust print that he didn't recognise. Taking a leap of faith, Marcus pulled the first lever. He heard a low rumble overhead, coupled by the sound of twenty bolt locks disengaging at once. "Alright spread out Delta. Check every cell. We're not leaving anyone here that's still alive," he ordered.

His squad fanned out, rifles raised as they systematically checked each and every holding cell for any survivors. Delta flashed battered old torches into the darkened corners of the prisons and found that the cells were so slick with blood that Marcus could see his own reflection in it. The utter lack of survivors was not surprising but it still felt like another personal failure. Twenty corpses were twenty people that he had failed – that the COG had failed. How could they say that these men had not died in vain? When Carmine handed Anderson a handful of COG tags for her little black pouch, Marcus felt his innards squeeze. The army had trained him his entire life to accept death, to direct his anger into his work and use it to his advantage but now, the sergeant found it difficult to keep channelling that anger he relied on.

Instead, he swallowed the hesitation down as he had done countless times before. It was a bitter pill he was more than used to. He did his best to keep it from the others. He needed them to be in no doubt that he was holding it together. Someday, when the war was over, Marcus swore he would write a book about the tactical failings of the COG. He put the thought aside and cautiously moved up the curved staircases that were too ornate for a prison, Dom and Cole flanking him at either side. There was a single Locust on the deck. The grey creature turned around, managed to roar at them once in his savage tongue before a single shot from Baird's pistol hit his head and shut him up for good. Marcus walked up the deck, Lancer raised cautiously in case there were any more surprises waiting for Delta. Once satisfied, Marcus lowered his gun and turned back to his squad. "We need to get this Beast Barge moving. Look around and see if there is a control panel or something," he ordered.

They didn't have to look too hard. In the middle of the deck, there was what appeared to be another control panel. Marcus paused and examined the console. He couldn't make sense of anything. It looked like nothing more than scribbles, like something a child might do. "Baird, come have a look at this."

Baird joined his side and scanned it briefly, his intelligent teal eyes making sense of the Locust patterns and instructions that were simply beyond Marcus. He knew he was clever enough but he would never match up to the most scary intelligence of Damon Baird. He tapped one of the levers thoughtfully. "I think this is the one to get it moving. Hang onto your skirts, girls," the blonde called out and he pulled the lever.

The Beast Barge gave a great lurch forward; one that almost sent Marcus toppling to the ground had he not grabbed a nearby support railing. Anderson was not so lucky. She fell forward and hit the deck with a thud and her coke bottle frames went sprawling. Beside Marcus, Baird gave a snort with laughter as Cole helped her onto her feet and returned her glasses to her nose. The Beast Barge pitched forward again as the huge, spanning claws unhooked themselves from the rocky ceiling. The legs moved one at a time, creating a swinging sensation that put Marcus in mind of sitting upon a rocking horse. Delta were lurched this way and that as the Beast traversed through the darkened tunnels. When Baird himself fell back on his ass, suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore. Granite rock and stone crumbled from the ceiling, smashing onto the decking below. Carmine just narrowly missed a shard of stone spearing him.

"Marcus! We're not alone out here!" Dom called, peering through the scope of his rifle.

Marcus squinted in the distance. He could see another Beast Barge. It was mobbed with Locust reinforcements, the surface milling with white and grey speckled skin. Somewhere out in the darkness in front of them, Marcus could hear the humming of a Reaver buzzing overhead. It was probably searching for them. Let it find them. Delta were more than prepared. Marcus gave a smirk and checked his Lancer. "We're boarding that Barge Delta."

He did not have to say anything else or give any other command. His squad knew what was expected of them. Delta scattered again and took up strategic position upon the utter level of the Beast barge. Lancers were mounted onto the surface of the steel containers in an attempt to try and recoil of the weapons. Marcus made a mental note to ask command to invest in some bipod stands for the Lancers. He stared through the holographic scope of his Lancer and gave the trigger a squeeze, opening fire on the Locust. Soon, the air flashed with steady streams red hot steel as the Gears opened fire onto the Locust reinforcements. Not one shell was wasted. Each bullet hit its target with precision, tearing through grey skin, red flesh and white bone. Heads exploded in brilliant fountains of scarlet. The Locust had numbers but Delta squad had the advantage of a coordinated leader who knew their strengths and weaknesses. When the Reaver did eventually show up, Carmine sniped both the driver and the gunner straight from their perch before it had even got close enough to fire an RPG at them. Cole – who had been on a Trokia turret – reduced the Reaver to chunks of dark meat.

Delta pushed up the Beast Barge until they were standing at the edge of their Beast Barge, facing another one adjacent. There was a wide berth between them, the cavern beneath dark and uninviting. "Well, ladies first. That means you Anderson" remarked Baird, cracking a smile that the young medic that was not the least bit kind nor caring. She shrunk back from him, staring Baird like a rabbit would a fox.

Marcus resisted the urge to push the blonde over the edge.

Instead, the Gear took a running jump and launched himself over the gaping divide. Marcus landed on the deck hard with a loud _thump_ and a crunch of steel. Steel eyes scanned the upper level of the Beast Barge then he beckoned the rest of his squad over.

Dom jumped over next to him, followed closely by Cole, Baird then Carmine. Even a rather exhausted Anderson managed to make it over. She sprung like a little frog and landed rather gracefully in front of Delta squad without even stumbling.

Marcus glanced at the smallest squad member. "Not bad Anderson. Where'd you learn to jump like that?"

The medic flinched and looked away, focusing on her boots instead. She truly could not make eye contact with him, even when he was complimenting her. "I went to gymnastics when I was little Sergeant," she replied so quietly that he had to strain his ears to hear her.

Marcus raised an eyebrow and studied her for a moment. The sergeant wondered briefly what other secrets she had hidden away. "Huh. Keep jumpin' then," the sergeant remarked. He turned his white eyed stare back onto the rest of Delta squad. They were an exhausted, sorry looking bunch but he had no other option to press them forward. "We need to check below deck. There might be some survivors." He motioned his squad forward and they fell into place behind him as he headed down another slopping, ramp-like staircase. Marcus raised his Lancer as he peered through the darkness, his finger tense on the trigger. He could not be sure that the Locust weren't just lying in wait to spring Delta in another trap.

"After what we've seen, do you honestly think there will be someone still alive down there?" Baird remarked.

"Can't hurt to hope man," Dom replied.

"We probably won't find anything but we have to make sure," Marcus answered, trying to suppress the feeling of dread that crept up his spine. Delta flanked out as they reached the bottom of the ramp. The second prison level of this new Beast Barge was just as dark and morbid and utterly horrifying as the first one. The same shade of dried blood crusted on the tiles beneath their feet. It was hard to tell what colour they had been to begin with. Some parts of the floor was wet and in the low illumination, Marcus could see the dull shine of dark red. Like the previous Beast Barge, chains and hooks and serrated blades were piled in a coppery heap on a nearby table. Another twenty cells without outer locks lined to the walls.

"Dom, pull that lever attached to the support beam. That should open these cells. We won't leave any poor bastard here," Marcus ordered.

The Latino pushed the heavy lever down with little effort. Marcus heard a low pitched rumble overhead, coupled with the clicking of the lock mechanisms all disengaging. The heavy, steel doors all swung open at once and Marcus waited with bated breath. In the cell opposite the sergeant, dark shadows stirred and unbelievably, Tai stumbled out of the prison cell. A great wave of relief washed over Marcus. Tai stood on the threshold of the prison cell, trembling and wobbling as if standing up took a great deal of effort. "Tai?" Marcus asked, squinting at the warrior. The tattooed warrior looked straight at him but did not say anything, merely continued to sway side to side like a palm tree in the wind. His eyes held a haunted look, one that Marcus had never seen in Tai before and it chilled him to the bone.

"Marcus! We've got more Locust on the way!" Dom alerted him.

Marcus wasted no time. He reached back and unclipped the spare Gnasher shotgun he had stolen from a dead Locust Grenadier. They needed an extra gun. The sergeant turned around to face Delta squad. "Cole, Baird. Cover that door. Carmine, Dom. Guard the rear," he commanded. He heard the sound the Gnasher being cocked behind and pivoted around his booted foot.

His sight made his blood run cold.

Tai pressed the nuzzle of the shotgun against his own chin, fingers trembling on the trigger. Time seemed to come to a standstill and Marcus felt his heart stop dead in his chest completely. He could barely even register what was about to happen. "Tai!" He heard himself yell. Marcus lunged desperately for the tattooed warrior but was seconds too late. Tai's head exploded, the force of the blast severing his jaws apart and shattering his skull completely. A cocktail of blood and brain hit Marcus, splattering across his face and armour. A scream of anger and frustration tore from his throat as he stood there, watching Tai's body crash to the ground in what felt like slow motion. Cold, cold horror flooded him as his eyes took in the sheer brutality of the Locust imprisonment. His back had been slashed beyond all recognition. Ribbons of skin hung from his back, dripping dark red blood onto the floor. Hooks had been dug so deeply into his skin that it hurt just looking at them. Marcus looked away, his jaw clenched tight. He could not bear to look at what had been become of his comrade – what the Locust had reduced him to in only six mere hours.

There was a stunned silence that lasted several minutes before anyone had the courage to speak. Nobody really knew what to say.

"I told you, they're breaking people. I could hear them screaming from the docks," Baird said angrily.

Carmine shuffled forward, looking down at what was once a proud warrior. "I can't believe they did that to Tai. He…he survives everything doesn't he?" Marcus could hear the question being directed at him but for once, he didn't have an answer for the rookie gear. A heavy sigh escaped his chest. "Let's just get the hell out of here," he replied, feeling utterly defeated. As Delta squad moved out, Marcus bent down over the body that was once his friend and plucked the steel COG tags from his neck. There was blood even on the chain.

Anderson stood by the doorway waiting for him, her eyes locked on Tai. When he approved, her navy blue eyed gaze flickered onto his face then it dropped to the COG tags clenched tight in his fist. Neither of them said anything for a moment as Anderson unclipped the black velvet pocket from her belt and gingerly held it open for him. "It wasn't your fault Sergeant," she said, sounding as if she was about to cry but struggling to hold it back.

Marcus cast one long, last look at Tai. "Then why the hell does it feel like it was?" he replied quietly, not really expecting an answer.

He was entirely surprised when he received one.

Anderson blinked her big, owl like eyes at him. "Because you're only human Sir," responded the medic, her sudden bout of boldness startling him entirely. Despite all Marcus knew of her, the medic still remained a mystery. She gave almost nothing away, kept her own thoughts very closely guarded and often only spoke when it was completely necessary. The only person that she seemed to relax around was Carmine. Marcus could see himself mirrored in her and he wasn't sure what to make of that. Marcus reached out and clapped a hand on her shoulder, turning her away from the dead body. He did not want her looking at Tai any longer than was necessary. They both had enough demons and ghosts to deal with. "C'mon, let's go," he said and he steered her out of the doorway, trying his damnedest not to look back.

* * *

**COG Serial Number: **PV-J.A.010-101-011-992  
**Current Time:** 21:00  
**Current Location**: Ilima City

Nobody really knew what to say.

Jennifer followed on behind Cole, wrapped up in the thoughts of Tai and his suicide. In her head, the scene kept playing over and over again – as if her brain had a repeat button that just wouldn't switch off.

Tai. The shotgun. The sound of the gunshot.

Tai. The shotgun. The sound of the gunshot.

Tai. The shotgun. The sound of the gunshot.

She would never forget the sight of his head exploding for as long as she lived. She watched Sergeant Fenix ahead. He was still rigid with silent rage. No one really wanted – nor knew how - to approach him. The Latino Dom had muttered something to him but Marcus waved him off and got right back to work, as if Tai's suicide had never happened. Thus was the burden of leadership. He had to hold them together, no matter what. Jennifer respected him entirely for it. He kept on going, regardless of what happened. She wished that sort of courage for herself.

Sergeant Fenix lead them through the Locust tunnels and back into the burning, smouldering remains of Ilima City. They were looking for a safe extraction point. It was time to go home. Jennifer almost cried with relief when he announced that they were heading for a safe extraction point.

It was proving difficult to find one. Ilima City was still burning. Smoke swirled overhead, an acrid mixture of brunt rubber, plastic and flesh. Buildings that had not been swallowed by the worm became sheets of flames that arched high into the sky, the fire almost too vibrant and bright to look at. Every so often, flames would find ammunition and fuel that hadn't erupted and several loud bangs and explosions would pepper the air that made them jump every time.

"Hey Marcus, looks like a safe LZ over on that roof," Dom said, peering through a set binoculars of he had "borrowed" from the corpse of a dead Locust.

Sergeant Fenix swivelled his blue eyes up to the building opposite. It was a tall, four storey ornate building that Jennifer suspected was once a bank in better days. It was high enough so that they could see any Locust approach and more important – it was not nearly as badly damaged as the buildings surrounding them. "Good call Dom, let's move Delta." They followed Sergeant Fenix round the side of the wreckage to a back door that wasn't seal off by rubble. Jennifer followed on behind Dom as they climbed up smouldering staircases in single file. They were careful not to put too much pressure on the staircases in case the weak, singed wood gave way beneath their feet. Some parts of the corridors were on fire. Jennifer wiped her damp brow and found that the sweat drench through the lining of her gloves. The heat was unbearable. The medic felt as if she was being cooked alive in her own armour.

The top level of the building faired a little better than the bottom half. The rooftop had been blasted away completely, the remains nothing more than piles of granite and spears of slate. Delta spread out, taking up defensive position behind chunks of rubble or heavy furniture. "Someone get the smoke set," Sergeant Fenix ordered.

To her left, Ben withdrew a smoke grenade from the explosive pouch attached to his leg. Jennifer peered at it was interest. It was smaller than the usual military- standard smoke grenade and was stamped with what looked like a small King-Raven. Ben pulled the ring and pin, awaited a split-second then threw it over to the centre of the building. It hit the deck with _ping_, bounced once then erupted. Bright blue smoke – almost sapphire in colour – billowed from the grenade case and seeped high up into the sky, puncturing through all the black smog and smoke. Some Raven pilot high in the sky would see it for certain. Jennifer found crouched down next to Ben. "Smokes up Sarge. Hope the Raven spots us before the Locust," Ben stated from their place behind a large, granite slab.

"C'mon man. Don't jinx us," Baird remarked back a couple of yards away. He looked up from behind his cover to give Ben a good glare. The rookie ignored him.

Delta waited, their collective breath held.

Then, Jennifer heard the all too familiar war cry of a Locust Drone. It was more of a howl than a roar and never failed to turn her blood to ice. A few seconds later, thirty Locust soldiers had hauled themselves up on grappling hooks to Delta's perch. She felt the sensation of being shoved the ground and it took her a few moments to realise than Ben had slammed her down onto her when the first bullets hit near them. She lay on her belly, utterly terrified as yet another gunfight erupted. Technically, she knew she should have been used to the sound of gunfire but she still could not help but shake. She could hear the sharp pinging of shells hitting their cover and felt as if the whole world was shooting at her. Her Tac/Com buzzed and vibrated as Delta shouted across at one another, relaying so many orders to each other that Jennifer could not possibly keep up.

"_Marcus! There's another one of those Locust priest things out there," _Dom radioed through on the open channel Tac/Com because the Sergeant would never have heard him over the gunfire.

Sergeant Fenix radioed back, some twenty yards ahead where the fire fight was at its thickest. A Locust priest danced between the bullets, the decorated leather robes swirling around as it moved. It would have been very beautiful to watch had the Locust not been snarling and roaring at them in pure hatred. _"Rodger that Dom! Carmine! Get that fucking Kantus!"_

"Yes sir Sarge!" Ben popped up over cover, steadied his rifle but a shot from a Hammerburst rifle whizzing past his head forced the rookie back into cover. Ben swore as he crouched low down next to the medic, reloading his seven or eight kilogram Longshot. The rookie tapped the side of his helmet. "Sarge, I need some cover fire to get a shot on him."

"_A little busy here rook! Anderson! Give Carmine some cover fire!" _Sergeant Fenix ordered over the Tac/Com.

Ben paused for a moment, reaching over his shoulder for his Lancer. He dropped put it front of her, along with two or three clips of Lancer ammo. "Jenny. Cover me," he said over the pinging of bullets. Jennifer raised her chin from the ground and stared at the rifle. The medic found she couldn't move. She had no idea what to do. She was aware that Sergeant Fenix was yelling at her through the Tac/Com but the thought of moving just could not – rather would not – be processed by her brain. Fear froze her limbs solid. Gunfights were not what she was trained for. She only knew how to stitch things back together, not blow them apart. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to clamp her gloved hands over her ears and block out the shouts of her commanding officer, to make it all go away.

Of course, it would never go away. The Tac/Com mounted in her ear made it impossible to ignore.

Then she heard Ben's voice in her ear, drowning out the orders of Sergeant Fenix. He was so close that she could feel the rasp of his breath through the helmet vents. "It's okay, I'll be alright. You stay in cover."

Jennifer tilted her head up and looked straight at him. No, he wouldn't be alright and she knew it. Suddenly, her hands acted of their own accord. She stretched out with trembling fingers and pulled the rifle to her armoured chest. It was heavy and every muscle protested as she lifted it. It was an unfamiliar weight she would never get used to. Bracing the butt of Lancer against her chest, Jennifer slipped her hand through the slot above the bayonet chainsaw. With her blood pounding in her, Jennifer managed to get onto her haunches into a crouch. "Okay, I'm ready," she croaked, clicking the safety off the rifle.

"On three Jenny. One. Two. Three."

Jennifer popped up from behind cover, peering through the blue holographic sight of her Lancer. The weight of the gun was almost unbearable and it took all her strength to keep it reasonably steady. Ben popped up next to her, rifle raised as he scanned, looking for the Locust priest. Jennifer spotted two Locust Drones staring through the ironsights of their Hammerburst rifles at Ben. The medic aimed at them as best she could squeezed rather than pulled the trigger – just as Sergeant Marko had instructed several months previously. Bullets tore from her rifle in a loud, angry growl. The hard force of the recoil rocketed through her arms, forcing up the Lancer muzzle up. The first volley of bullets missed their mark, hitting pipes behind the Locust Drones and making them ring loudly. Panic settled in and she squeezed again, praying to whatever god happened to be listening that she hit her mark. The second spray of bullets hit the chest of one of her targets. The Locust in question gave a roar of pain as a great, dark stain spread across his chest. Jennifer swivelled the nose of the rifle onto the next target, unable to bring herself to watch him die. By the time the Locust Drone had his gun in her general direction, Jennifer had pulled the trigger again. Adrenaline hummed in her blood, drowning out the gunfire all around her.

Except for the tremendous crack of Ben's sniper rifle.

Jennifer looked through her scope just in time to see the skull of the dancing Locust priest shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. She had barely blinked before the young soldier shoved her back onto her belly and ducked down as well. A fraction of a second later, a storm of bullets thundered overhead and smashed into the wood behind them. "Shit, that was close. Stay behind cover and keep moving," Ben breathed urgently against her neck, suddenly sounding twenty years older and wiser. Jennifer nodded and clicked the safety back on the Lancer with numb fingers, trembling as rifle fire churned overhead.

It felt as if an age had passed before the bullets had finally stopped splintering wood. It was only then did Jennifer realise that her Tac/Com was ringing again. _"Delta, this is KR-One Nine. I have eyes on the smoke."_

"_Rodger that One Nine. Delta is ready for pick up," _replied Sergeant Fenix. _"Thirty seconds Delta!" _Jennifer was not entirely sure that they could last thirty more seconds. The Locust seemed to press in from every corner, mercilessly pushing Delta back. For every soldier gunned down by Delta, another ten would take its place. Jennifer and Ben moved between cover, narrowly avoid the pings of bullet. She tried to move quicker but fear made her limbs sluggish and heavy like lead. Somewhere in the distance, Jennifer heard the rumbling and of earth shifting. The medic looked up. Through the smoke and smog, Jennifer saw the shape of something very large. With very large teeth.

Apparently Sergeant Fenix heard saw it as well.

"_Oh shit! Hurry it up One Nine! We need out of here now!"_

The squad had been pushed together on the center of the rooftop before the King Raven arrived. Jennifer heard the deafening buzzing of the helicopter and looked up. KR-One Nine swooped down through the black smoke, its twin rotors tilting into position for what was clearly a tight landing. Jennifer did not think there was even enough room on the deck but somehow the Raven managed to touch down. Gusts of wind and ash were thrown up by the whirling blades, slamming into Delta with enough force to knock a Boomer over.

Sergeant Fenix was at the Raven, covering Delta from the Locust as they bolted for the chopper. Jennifer sprinted after them as fast as her little legs could carry her. A sharp _ping_ hit the back plates of her ceramic armour and she stumbled, feeling as if a wasp had stung her. "Go, go, go Delta!" Sergeant Fenix yelled over the furious crashing of the propeller blades. Dom was first in, hauling Cole in after him. Jennifer followed on and when she tried to scramble onto the Raven, her armoured legs buckled in fright. She felt someone grab the collar of her chest plate and give her a good, hard shove into the Raven. She hit the deck with a loud crunch and her chin smacked off the grating. Pain exploded in her mouth and she tasted coppery iron upon her tongue. "God help you if I get shot because of you!" Baird yelled as he clambered in after her. The largest Gear Cole gave her hand getting on to her chair – which the medic was grateful for because she was almost certain she wouldn't have managed on her own. None of her limbs would respond to commands.

The Sergeant, meanwhile, bundled in after them. He sunk into the chair opposite her, his mad-dog eyes wild. "Where's Carmine?"

Jennifer felt as if her gut were about to fall out.

Yes. Where was Ben?

Then, she heard his voice from outside the chopper, coupled with gunfire and it made her cold chill. "I got your back, Sarge!" She shifted on her chair, leaning over Baird so that she could see him.

Sergeant Fenix stuck his do-rag clad head out of the safety of the Raven, face fixed in a snarl. "Get your ass in here! Now!" he shouted, getting up from his chair.

Cole leaned out of the chopper. "Rookie! This ain't the big game yet! Save your ass for the playoffs!" he exclaimed, motioning for the rookie soldier to get in the Raven.

Ben took several steps backwards, trying to beat a retreat at last. On the furthest end of the rooftops, a gun muzzle flashed white and the rookie soldier stumbled as contact was made with his armour. A yelp escaped Ben and he fell back against the Raven with a groan. Jennifer's heart leapt into her throat and for once, she did not hesitate. She reached out, grabbed his shoulder padding and helped Delta haul the rookie into the Raven. A hand reached up and Jennifer took it, not caring who was watching. She entwined her fingers through his and pressed his hand against her burning forehead. It took some effort for the medic not to break down right then and there.

Meanwhile, Dom stood up and hammered the wall that separated them from the cockpit. "We're in! Go!"

"_Hang onto your skirts girls!"_ radioed through the Raven helicopter started to inch up from the ground, all the while getting peppered by bullets. The King Raven could take some small-arms fire but no one really knew for certain how much. No one was eager to test it. The chopper bumped and bucked its way into the air, throwing the occupants this way and that as it climbed high above the gunfire and smoke. "You okay Rook?" asked Sergeant Fenix over the roaring of the King Raven.

"I'm okay Sarge. I can't believe we made it."

Jennifer was suddenly seized with the urge to either strangle or hug the rookie Gear. "Oh Ben, what were you thinking? You could have been killed," she scolded. The medic wanted to berate him and yell at him for blindly putting his life on the line. The words, however, stuck hard in her throat when she realised that he had been blindly putting his life on the line all day. It was only then did she realise how much the thought of losing him terrified her.

Ben said something but suddenly, Jennifer could not hear anything. All she could gear was a great rumbling that drowned out everything else. The earth below gave a terrible, bone rattling roar and just seemed to split apart completely. Huge teeth reared up beneath them, spitting out great chunks of rocks and debris from the dark chasm. Miles and miles of rocky stretched out beneath them. It took the medic a few horrible moments to realise what she was staring at. The Riftworm had returned. It was even bigger and more horrifying than she had originally thought. Something large smashed into the tail of the King Raven and the vehicle spiraled out of control. In that split second of confusion, Jennifer saw Carmine slide down the deck plate of the Raven.

Dom tried to grab him as he fell past.

But Delta's squad leader was faster. She never even saw him move. With lightning fast reflexes, Sergeant Fenix snatched the young rookie right from the air. He half-hung out of the Raven, the rookie dangling beneath him by one arm. "Sarge!" Ben yelled, hanging onto the blue eyed sergeant for dear life.

"I got you Rook! Hold on!" the Sergeant yelled back, struggling to keep his grasp on the younger soldier. One arm hooked through his seats harness and Jennifer could see his muscles tight and taunt through his thermal layering. For a wild and horrifying moment, Jennifer was almost certain he would lose his grip and drop the rookie.

Next to the medic, Cole looped the seat harness around his large hand two or three times then leaned out of the Raven to grasp Ben's other outstretched hand. Jennifer sat, too terrified to breathe, as the two large gears struggled against gravity to pull the rookie gear to safety. They gave one great pull together and heaved Ben back into the Raven. "You gotta lose some weight boy," the former Thrashball player panted, patting Ben on his shoulder.

But before anything else could be said, the Riftworm reared up from the ground once again in a graceful arch Hundreds of thousands of razor sharp teeth rushed towards the Raven. The Riftworm intent was clear. It was going to eat them alive and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Jennifer heard herself – and Delta – scream together as the gaping, tunnel of darkness rushed to meet them and swallowed them whole._  
_

* * *

**And that's a wrap people. No Locust in this chapter since I wanted to focus purely on Delta for this chapter. So much happens in the Captivity mission. SO MUCH WRITING /wrists.**

**As you can see, I didn't kill Carmine off. When I started writing this fic, that was a certainly. I'm so cruel to Jennifer already that I couldn't bring myself to kill off her LI.**


End file.
